


The Softest Feather

by Kawaii_strawberry



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Anxiety, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route Spoilers, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Lack of Communication, Light Angst, Slow Burn, Social Anxiety, Speech Disorders, Spoilers, at first
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2020-09-29 21:00:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 29,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20442446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kawaii_strawberry/pseuds/Kawaii_strawberry
Summary: Everything went faster than she could understand, and Byleth found herself on the steps of Garreg Mach Monastery, not entirely sure what led to her being here. She tried to fight through and talk to them, but it was all pretty overwhelming and all she could manage was to utter a peep.Not so much in the beginning, but will contain general game spoilers (leaning more toward Golden Deer route)





	1. Like The Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a fic so please be gentle! I just love Seteth so much he's given me so much inspiration and I really love the idea of social anxiety/speech anxiety Byleth so I just had to do this

Everything all happened so fast, she didn’t really even fully understand how she got into this situation. It seemed like one moment her father was waking her up for the start of another journey and the next they were thrust into the heat of battle- and who was that young girl she saw with the green hair? Sothis she said her name was. And apparently her father was once some kind of knight? There was so much that she suddenly didn’t know. Byleth had a lot to think about on their journey to Garreg Mach Monastery. Byleth who up until this point had led her life from one inn to the next, one battle to the next, had now found herself in a position she never expected to be in. The students tried to talk to her on their journey but for the most part she would just listen. Out of the three of them she found Claude the easiest to communicate with, maybe because he didn’t have the formal noble air of the other two. His attitude was much closer to that of the mercenaries she was used to. But Byleth was never really one to talk much, she had her father to do that for her, and she found comfort in the way their lives had been up to now. Despite the long journey, she still hadn’t really figured out how she felt about all of this. 

Entering Garreg Mach for the first time was like entering a new world. The buildings towered over her, decorated in filigrees and gold. She followed close behind her father, squeezing her hands together as she took it all in. She practically ran into Jeralt as he stopped in his path to look up at a figure peering over a balcony. Byleth glanced upward into the sunlight to see the woman, just as ornate as the buildings surrounding them. She looked beautiful and the way that the sun glittered off her gold headpiece and jewels was something Byleth had only really seen in stories. But despite her beauty, Jeralt didn’t seem happy to see her. ‘All the more reason for caution’ she thought as she picked up pace to continue closely behind her father’s gait. 

“The archbishop… Lady Rhea.” Entering the building Jeralt told his daughter about the woman.  
“Lady Rhea?” Byleth barely muttered the words back to her father. He was used to her quiet tone by now, responding as if she had spoken the words at a completely normal level. This bond between the two of them was why strangers thought Jeralt spoke to himself at times. After a brief lesson on the Church of Serios- something that Byleth was aware of, though she never really understood or took part in- the pair entered the main chamber. 

The main chamber was even more beautiful than the exterior of the building. It was a large room with the tallest ceilings that Byleth had ever stood in, giant stained glass windows depicting stories she never heard in beautiful color, and a raised area that two people walked onto as her father approached. Byleth took in a gulp of air, trotting up behind her father and taking her place standing next to him to meet with this Lady Rhea, and the man that she could only assume was an assistant of some kind. He must have been someone important though if she could judge anything by the quality of his clothing and his demeanor. And sure enough as they approached the man was the first one to introduce himself. 

“My name is Seteth. I am an advisor to the Archbishop” He spoke to her father as Byleth caught her eyes daring to wander around the room. There was so much to take in, so much that was like nothing she had seen before. In truth, it was really overwhelming, and Byleth was trying her best to keep calm. Her attention was brought back to the conversation when the woman spoke. 

“It has been a long time, Jeralt. I wonder… was it the will of the goddess that we have another chance meeting like this? ….The miracle of fatherhood has blessed you, that is your child is it not?” She asked, and Byleth was acutely aware that this conversation was turning toward her. Acutely aware of the attention being brought on herself, the eyes once focused on Jeralt that now turned their gaze onto her. And acutely aware that she would most likely need to speak soon, Jeralt wouldn’t be able to cover for her here.   
“What is your name?” Rhea finally addressed her directly. A few moments passed, one after another as Byleth tried to speak up. She looked up to her father, practically begging him to answer the question for her. Why was this so hard? She wondered this every time. It was just her name, but for some reason speaking was never something that came easily to Byleth even if she easily knew the answer to the question.   
“...” Byleth uttered the softest squeak of a sound, trying to get something- anything, to come out in response to the woman. But it seemed the moment had passed on for too long. Byleth jumped as she heard the taller green haired man snap at her.   
“You must at least show the basic courtesy of telling us your name! Do you not think you are being a bit rude to the archbishop?” She heard the words, even if she couldn’t look at the person saying them. Byleth froze like a deer, staring down at her feet, twisting her hands together and feeling her stomach go heavy. This was exactly what she did not want to come across as, but it seems once again her voice held her back. She closed her eyes and nodded in response to Seteth’s scolding.  
“It is all right, Seteth. My dear, I am called Rhea. I am the archbishop of the Church of Seiros. I was only being polite. I already know your name, and a beautiful name it is.” Rhea’s kind words reached out to Byleth, giving her the courage to look back up and finish the conversation. As beautiful as this place and the people in it were, Byleth couldn’t wait to get out of this situation and go back to their normal lives. Unfortunately that thought was cut short by talk of Jeralt rejoining the Knights of Seiros. 

It wasn’t much longer after that Rhea and Seteth left, leaving Jeralt and Byleth to speak alone finally. Byleth let out the breath that she didn’t realize she had been holding in for so long, and attempted to relax her shoulders. Another deep breath out and she felt Jeralt’s hand rest on her shoulder. They had practiced these exercises many times together before. “You did good in there, kid.” Jeralt said with a warm smile to his daughter. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this. Looks like I’ll be stuck here for a while… and I’m afraid your services are requested as well.” He apologized, his eyebrows turning up in concern. 

“As a servant?” Byleth asked him. Her father was apparently this really important knight after all, and she couldn’t imagine being asked to do anything of importance after the disaster that was that conversation with Rhea and Seteth. 

“Nothing like that. They want you to teach by the sound of it.” Jeralt explained, removing his hand from her shoulder to gesture as he spoke. 

“A… teacher?” Byleth mumbled and Jeralt could already see the panic starting to form within his daughter. He quickly pulled her in for a hug. Awkward with the clank of metal armor against each other, but he knew she would need something to help her calm down. 

“Apparently that damned Alois went and recommended you to Lady Rhea.” He said, half smiling at the thought of it. “Don’t worry though, you’ll do great. And I’ll be right here nearby should you need anything.” He reassured his daughter and loosened the hug to smile down at her. “It’ll be okay.”


	2. You Broke the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth has no social skills and literally walks into Seteth while leaving the dining hall

As time passed, Byleth slowly got used to the routine of teaching her students at Garreg Mach Monastery. Getting to know her students certainly helped with that. Sometimes it felt like they taught her more than she was teaching them, and Claude ever the talker was able to help her break out of her shell with the group. Raphel was another one, loud and booming, but still soft. Byleth may have gotten jumped in her first few interactions with him, but over time his level became normal. And Marianne knew all too well the struggle that Byleth has lived her life with. While the two of them struggled to talk to most other people, they always seemed to have an easier time when they spoke together. Maybe because they had an understanding of each other that others didn’t have. Lorenz helped teach her too. Byleth sometimes felt silly remembering back to how nervous she was to speak with Edelgard and Dimitri because of their noble attitude. Getting to know Lorenz taught her that the nobility or air of upper class isn’t what makes the person at all. Despite her normally quiet attitude, Byleth had no qualms speaking up to give orders on the battlefield. That’s probably where her students heard her voice the most, volume wise at least. Even with those outside of her own class, as time passed Byleth was able to greet them normally and even have conversations with some of them. While Byleth was not a very religious person, Rhea always had this calming presence around her that she appreciated. Even the gatekeeper outside of the monastery became easier to talk with, especially since he would talk to her like a normal person, not talk down on her or coddle her, even if she didn’t always have something to say in response. And of course, regular meetings with Jeralt helped Byleth find herself through all of this. He was always there to give her advice (on both battle plans and social interactions) and to help her calm down when she was feeling too overwhelmed by the monastery life.

There was one person however that Byleth never could let herself grow comfortable around and that was Rhea’s advisor Seteth. Though she didn’t want to judge, she did sometimes catch herself wondering how Flayn could stand having such an overbearing older brother. Every interaction Byleth had with Seteth always seemed to have an undertone of scolding from him. It was strange how Byleth could feel herself growing more comfortable and gaining more control of so many other aspects of her life, yet still feel a bolt of anxiety rush through her body whenever she turned a corner and saw Seteth. After every conversation turned scolding (that Byleth would nod and accept), she would always feel the need to scold herself too. Why, when she could learn to talk to everyone else, was Seteth still so hard to wrap her head around. Maybe he just didn’t like her. Was her inability to introduce herself to Rhea on that first day really such a slight?

But Byleth was glad to be there when Seteth was in need, and glad to be there for Flayn when she went missing. It was the first BIG shock like this in her time at Garreg Mach. Flayn was such a sweet girl, how could anyone do anything to hurt her? And despite his usual uptight nature, Byleth could see how human Seteth really was when it all happened. She saw the genuine love and worry in Seteth, knowing he would do anything to protect his little sister. In a way she was almost jealous, wishing she had a sibling as a child. It sure would have helped her social development. But even after she and her students rescued Flayn and brought her home along with Manuela and another student from before her time, Seteth stayed the same. He was thankful at first, but soon went back to his usual harsh ways. That’s why when Seteth asked to see her on that day she got so scared.

Byleth had been making her way out of the dining hall, turning to wave goodbye to Ignatz and Lysithea who had just shared a meal with her. In her distracted state she turned back forward only to make a head-on collision with Seteth’s chest- almost yelping out in surprise as she did so. She closed her eyes and tensed her body, ready to crash to the ground after the crash. It took a few moments before she slowly peeked one eye open, realizing that she was still standing, having been stabilized by Seteth’s hands on either one of her shoulders. She peeked her other eye open to look up at him, catching a quick moment of surprise and concern on his face before ducking her face back down to stare at her shoes.  
“S- s…. Sorry!” She stuttered out to the ground.

Seteth was aware he had a rather frightening presence, more than one student had told him so in his time at the monastery, but he did always wonder why the fellow professor did seem to be so terrified of him. “Why do you-” He said softly, catching himself as he almost spoke his thought aloud. “No matter. Perfect timing. Byleth, if you have a moment I would like to see you in my office tomorrow.”

Byleth nodded silently, again toward her shoes in response to his request. She felt him finally release her shoulders, both of them seeming to not realize he had been holding her steady there for so long. “Okay.” She finally looked up again, this time catching the usual stern expression of Seteth’s face. She felt frozen there for a moment before she quickly nodded again to say goodbye and step around him, practically speed walking to her room. Seteth watched her walk away, staring at the ground the entire way, and wondered how she didn’t run into people more often.

\----

Byleth finally finding reprieve alone in her room, curled herself up onto her bed. She could absolutely understand sometimes how Bernadetta would hole herself in her room so much. There were many days that the social interaction was too much and Byleth wanted so desperately to do the same. Luckily her duties for the day were completed and she didn’t need to go back out unless she wanted to. She tried to think of the other things that had occurred that day. She had a good conversation during her meal, but what was it about? She couldn’t really remember anymore. All she could think about was that last interaction with Seteth.

For someone who internalized everything and didn’t show many emotions, she sure did feel a lot of really complicated feelings in this moment. Her mind was racing. ‘_What does he want to talk to me about? What did I do wrong now? Why did I have to run INTO him like that? Why did he look at me with such concern on his face? Why is that face burned into my memory right now? What do I do? How are his clothes- his body is so deceptive! I wasn’t expecting to hit hard muscle like that. Why did he hold onto me for so long? How am I supposed to go meet with him tomorrow? What am I… feeling right now?_’

A part of her felt like she was going to throw up that delicious meal she just had with her students. A part of her wanted to cry. And another part of her wanted her dad to be here and tell her everything was going to be okay. Except he was across the campus, his office being right next to Seteth’s. There was no way she was going to make it over there right now. She found herself praying to Sothis for the first time. Praying that one of her students would come knocking on her door at just that moment so she could ask them to go get Jeralt for her.

“Oh phooey! Do you know how embarrassing that would be?” Byleth let out a soft “eep!” as she heard the young girl’s voice in her head, forgetting in her stress that Sothis was right there with her. “Pick yourself up and go talk to your father if you want to so badly!” The voice scolded, and Byleth knew she was right.

Byleth pulled herself up from her bed, sitting straight up and leaning against the wall for a moment. She hadn’t noticed in her anxiety that throughout this all she was crying, feeling the heavy feeling in her chest that made it hard to breathe. She sat there, going through the breathing exercises that she had practiced with her father since she was a child. Every time she did this she knew he would be right there to help her. If she went quickly, acted like she had something important to talk about, hopefully none of the students would stop her on her way. A few more deep breaths before she had the courage to step to her door and open it, doing just as she planned and walking as quickly as she could to her father’s office. Only a few people looked her way, and she really hoped her eyes didn’t look red from crying anymore.


	3. Fathers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seteth overhears Byleth talking to her father about her anxiety 
> 
> (her anxiety is Seteth)

Jeralt was in his office when he heard the lightest tap of a knock on his door. From the trepidation behind the knock he knew exactly who it was. She had done this since she was old enough to room on her own. Some nights he’d be in bed and hear the tiniest knock from his little girl who had a nightmare and needed his help to calm down. No matter how late it was, he’d always be happy to scoop her into his arms, tuck her into his own bed, and read her a story until she fell peacefully back to sleep.   
Knock knock  
Oh right- Jeralt shook his head and pulled himself out of the memory to answer the door. “Come on in By... What is it?” He knew something was up from the knock, but seeing her big round eyes stare up at up like that told him it was more than the usual stress of monastery life getting to her. He quickly stepped aside to let her in, pulling up a seat for her and sitting down beside her. He grabbed ahold of her hand, holding it tightly and rubbing the back of it with his thumb while he waited for her to speak.  
“U-u-uhm…” She was stuttering before she could even get to the first word. “Sss… S-Seteth.” Jeralt tilted his head slightly in confusion, his own mind racing on what this man could do to upset his daughter so much. Byleth took a practiced breath before trying to speak again. “I think he hates me. I don’t know why I keep messing up… whenever it comes to him I mess it up again.” 

“Go on,” Jeralt’s posture relaxed when it was clear that nothing was done to hurt Byleth. “Let it out, tell me what happened.” He assured her, giving her the floor to say what she wanted before he spoke up.

“I uh, I don’t know why I… I feel like I’m always doing something wrong when he talks to me. Even after Flayn, I thought I was doing a good job taking care of her. I w-was…” she stopped to breathe some more. “I ate with my students tonight and I was walking out and I wasn’t paying attention and I was saying bye and I stepped and I was going out the door and I walked into him and I-” Byleth started to ramble and rush through the words.

“By, By, shhh…” Jeralt cooed to slow her down. “Come on, take a breath, I’m not goin’ anywhere take your time.” He reached up to slide a stray piece of hair from her face and she leaned into his hand, following his orders and breathing before speaking again.

“He asked to see me in his office tomorrow and I’m sure I’ve done something terribly wrong. I know it’s hard here, but I like it. I don’t want anything to change. I don’t want to leave my students, I want to stay here like this.” She finally got it out. 

“Ah, so you’re afraid he’s going to fire you from the monastery? Well I can assure you that’s not the case. If you really were doing anything that bad you bet someone’d come talk to me, or heck, they’d talk to you about how you can change and be better before just outright firing you.” Jeralt tried to say with a smile, but he realized too late that might not have been the right thing to say for this situation. “Of course you aren’t doing anything wrong, that’s not what this is about, I’m sure. I know it’s hard for you to talk to people, but you’ll get the hang of it. And if it makes you feel any better, I think he talks like that to everyone not just you.”

\----

It was a little later than he would usually stay up working, but Seteth had a lot on his mind tonight. He wanted to trust in Rhea’s judgement, and the students really seemed to be liking the new professor. Even Flayn liked her, and if Flayn liked someone Seteth would have to have a good understanding of who they were as a person before that could continue. He wanted to follow that judgement, but he had to learn some things of his own before he could fully trust in the new professor. That’s why he was looking for her that afternoon to speak with her. She seemed to be busy, rushing off somewhere as he normally saw her doing. She often seemed to be busy, always rushing off one place or another when Seteth saw her. That’s why he thought it would be best to try and plan this conversation ahead of time so she wouldn’t be busy. 

Why was he still thinking about it though?

Her walking into him earlier that day was some of the most interaction the two of them had had since the professor joined them here at the monastery. There was something about her that Seteth couldn’t get his mind off of. Maybe it was the way she always looked like a scared little bird whenever he tried to talk to her, and that was even more amplified today. No matter. Seteth tried to shake the thought and get back to writing his notes. 

He sat there in silence, writing with his quill by the light of a candle for a while. Stopping for a moment to look up at the night sky through his window. ‘The stars really do look beautiful from the view of Garreg Mach’ he thought. It was getting late, though, and he should probably start to head to bed soon. Seteth started picking up his desk for the night when he heard a soft noise from across the wall. Being a father himself, he almost instinctively went into care mode at the realization he was hearing a young girl’s soft crying. He froze mid stance, holding papers in his hand wondering what to do next when he heard his name through the quiet voice, causing him to freeze even more in place. Slowly he sat back down in his desk chair, straining to hear anything else from the other room. 

“I feel like I’m always doing something wrong when he talks to me.”

Seteth blinked, realizing the conversation was between the new professor and her father. Seteth was always just trying to do his job, but perhaps he was too harsh at times. He made sure to take a mental note of that. If his tone could upset a fellow professor this much, he could only imagine how it could make students feel.

“I’m sure I’ve done something terribly wrong.”

“Byleth…” Seteth whispered, and felt his eyebrows curl up in an expression of sadness. He felt a pain in his chest, thinking that he could have unknowingly caused such upset in her. He was wary of her, but he never meant to be cruel. Maybe if she knew he was just coming from a place of concern and duty she would understand better. It was nothing personal against her. He resolved to try to be more clear with her when they spoke tomorrow. Not wanting to intrude anymore on this conversation between father and daughter, Seteth quietly crept out of his office. He could leave the rest of the organizing until the morning.


	4. Questions and Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seteth questions Byleth 
> 
> (or, I expand upon the Seteth and Byleth C support)

Byleth stood outside of the office, giving a light knock on the door. She hoped her father was right. She didn’t realize it until she started vocalizing her fear, but her time here at the monastery really has already meant so much to her. She glanced over toward Jeralt’s office nearby, remembering their conversation from the previous night, and remembering the advice he gave her. Take things easy. Try your best to communicate. Don’t forget to breathe. Not long after she knocked there was a response from the other side of the door.

“Ah. There you are. I apologize for calling you in so suddenly. Please, sit.” Seteth greeted her and let her into his office. He too remembered things from the previous night. He hoped that this conversation would clear things up between the new professor and himself. Byleth nodded to him, following his direction into the room and taking the sear that Seteth had gestured to. She realized looking around the room how much it really reflected Seteth’s character. So tidy, organized, and exactly how it should be. Except for the desk, for some reason there was a pile of papers spread across it and a quill and ink still out. _‘Seteth must be a very busy man._’ She thought. She turned back to face him as Seteth took the seat before her.

“There is a matter I would like to discuss with you. I believe I’ve told you this before, but it is my responsibility to aid the archbishop in all her duties.” Seteth began to explain. He tried his best to not sound threatening, and hoped it came off the right way.

“What... What are those duties?” Byleth squeezed her eyes shut as she forced the question out. Trying her best to communicate like her father suggested. When she opened her eyes again she saw Seteth’s face staring at her in surprise before slightly smiling and continuing on.

“Spiritual instruction, ceremony oversight, donation management—all of the church’s many administrative tasks.” He listed some of the many things he managed around the monastery, stopping for a moment before adding. “The archbishop entrusts a great deal to my discretion, and I am honored by her confidence. Even when she must make decisions herself, she often seeks my counsel in advance. And yet…” Seteth trailed off, trying to gauge Byleth’s state before continuing. He didn’t want to treat her like a child, but he was also now very much aware of the way he had been acting toward her. “Your appointment to a teaching position at the Officers Academy was a complete surprise to me. Not only that, but you have also been entrusted with the Sword of the Creator. Frankly, that decision baffles me. You should be fully investigated, at a minimum, before being trusted with such a responsibility. But no such investigation has been conducted. I know you are skilled in war, and in matters of strategy, but beyond that I know next to nothing about you.” He let the curiosity show in his voice, but stopped, realizing how long he had gone on for.

“You don’t trust me…” Byleth said in a quiet almost defeated tone. Even after everything she’s been through, had she not proven herself worthy of her position here? But as much as she wanted to ask, she couldn’t get those questions out.

“Not quite…” Seteth’s eyebrows curled in, letting a slight bit of concern show through his cold exterior. “I do find you to be a trustworthy individual. But my subjective opinion is not enough. I have a duty to be cautious.” He explained further, hoping this would let Byleth know it wasn’t a personal problem. “In any case, it is time I learned more about you. I ask only that you answer my questions honestly.” Seteth tried his best to give Byleth a warm and welcoming expression, though it came out rather forced looking. Not that it mattered too much, the woman before him was staring at her shoes once again. ‘_She really ought to look up more_’ he thought, but spared her that speech for another time.

“Okay… I can do that.” Byleth mumbled. If he was going to ask her questions it would make the conversation much easier. She would just have to answer the questions, not add anything of her own to the conversation that way.

Seteth asked her the most very basic questions, and still it was somehow hard for Byleth to answer. This time the difficulty didn’t lie within her voice, but within her actual knowledge. If coming to Garreg Mach had taught her anything it was that she didn’t really know anything at all. She didn’t know anything about her father’s life before her earliest memory with him, and even when it came to her own life there was so much that she didn’t know the answers to.

“I have never asked your age.” Seteth stated, realizing the fact himself as he said it. He knew she was young, but that wasn’t saying much as everyone was young compared to himself. She did seem very close in age to her students though, which was part of his initial suspicion of her becoming a professor. “Just how old are you exactly?”

“W-well… Um.... I think…” Byleth stuttered out, trying to come up with an answer in her head that sounded like it made sense. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she could at least try to give an approximation to give him an idea. Though she apparently couldn’t hide her own concern at the question. She had never really thought about it, never needed to know and so she never asked.

“Your face says it all. You truly don’t know, do you? Just what was Jeralt thinking raising you this way?” Seteth let his own fatherly morals leak out a bit, but he genuinely was surprised at just how much Byleth didn’t know about her own life.

Despite the awkwardness of this entire conversation and the situation leading up to it, Seteth did somehow feel better after it all. This was the first time he had really spoken with Byleth this much, and that said something considering how little she actually said during their talk. Even though he didn’t gain any significant knowledge of Byleth’s life, he felt much more comfortable in having her around.

‘_Was this all he called me in for?_’ Byleth wondered to herself as she started to gather herself to leave. ‘_To learn more about me?_’ No one had really cared to ask that much about Byleth or her past before, and in a way it was kind of nice.

“Um…” Byleth stopped in the door before she took her leave. “Thank you, Seteth.” And while she didn’t smile with her whole face, he could see the happiness shine through her eyes.


	5. A Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Golden Deer win the battle of the Eagle and the Lion, Byleth and Seteth share a moment together at the end of the night.

After their meeting, life around the monastery calmed down a bit. Well, the best it could with the upcoming battle of the Eagle and Lion. Byleth’s students seemed to be paying even more attention to their lessons in preparation for the mock battle. Byleth however, was proud of herself. Though Seteth still did have a strict tone, Byleth knew the way he spoke with her was the same way he spoke with anyone else. Meaning, that she didn’t have that rush of fear an anxiety when she crossed paths with him anymore. It seemed that stress of anxiety she had been getting around him was the last thing holding her back from really relaxing and getting used to her new life.

Byleth still had a quieter tone than most, and the stutter would come out when she was more stressed, but for the most part she was getting better at it. It was enough that even her visits to Jeralt were becoming more and more spread out. While he missed the time with his daughter, he was proud of her and happy to see her coming out of her shell and becoming more capable on her own in ways she couldn’t be before.

Byleth spent many of her free days in the gardens. Even though talking was becoming easier, quiet moments like this would always be relaxing to her. While gardening Byleth would try her best to tie her hair up, but the choppy uneven cut usually left her with a few random pieces hanging out. She’d leave her coat by the door, those big sleeves would just get in the way and get dirty if she kept it on. Spotting the coat hanging by the entrance was usually how people knew she was in there. That was how Claude knew she was in there that day.

“Hey, Teach!” His voice rang out loudly through the greenhouse.

“Yes?” Byleth’s disheveled head popped up from behind the plants she was tending too, hair tied up the best it could be, a few smudges of soil across her arms. She stood, swiping her hands together to get as much of the dirt off of her as she could before approaching her student.

“Just wanted to check in with you about our strategy for the battle. You sure you don’t wanna go with my plan?” He raised his arms resting them behind his head as he teased.

“No Claude, I don’t think poisoning our competition follows the rules.” She stared at her student, and though the humor didn’t come across in her voice, she still appreciated Claude’s joking. “Plus,” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “I believe in my deer. I know you guys can handle this without any trickery.” And Byleth let just the slightest hint of a smile shine through to her student.

“Well I can’t trick you into it if you get all genuine on me like that.” Claude teased his professor. “Anyways, we’ll be ready for your orders when the time comes.” It was another reminder of how far Byleth had come over the months here at Garreg Mach. It would only be a few more days, and she was confident in her student’s ability in battle.

\-----

Byleth’s faith was placed well, and the Golden Deer did not disappoint. In Claude’s words, they ‘trounced’ the other houses, coming out as the winners of the mock battle. Byleth was especially proud of Flayn for integrating so well into the team. She had only been with her house for a short while, and already she felt like one of them. After they returned from Gronder Fields, the houses came together and decided to have a feast to celebrate. Of course, Byleth was invited to the celebrations, her students always saw the value of her commands in battle and often saw it to the key to their victory… even if Byleth believed they could have done it without her. The group of students and their professors all celebrated throughout the night; eating and laughing, until slowly one by one students began to filter out. Eventually it was only the professors left (aside from Manuela, who turned in early to rest), and they began to clean up after the celebratory night.

Byleth was gathering plates together into a pile by one of the tables in the dining hall when a figure approached her- Seteth.

“Professor.” Seteth called as he came up to her. She nodded in his direction to acknowledge his presence and continued to work on picking things up. “I just wanted to thank you.” He followed up, and Byleth froze for a moment, placing down the last plate in her hand before she looked up to him, a questioning look on her face. “Hmm?” She made a sound of confusion toward him.

Seteth gestured toward the bench in front of the table and each of them took a seat across from the other to talk. “Flayn.” He started. “She’s really adjusted to her life in your class. Of course I can’t help but worry for her but…” Seteth started to trail off. He almost got distracted by the way the moonlight shone through the window and reflected off Byleth’s dark blue hair. He dispelled the thought from his head before finishing his thought. “I trust that you’ll be there for her.”

Byleth blinked and nodded. She too felt a strange distracted feeling that she hadn’t recognized before. It almost reminded her of the anxiety feeling- a weird sort of twisting in her stomach. She wondered if it was some kind of leftover lingering from how she felt around him before. They hadn’t talked much one on one after all. The professor started to realize she was going into her head though, and hadn’t sufficiently responded.

“I’d protect all of my students with my life. I love them… And I love it here.” Byleth finally answered. She didn’t know what came over her, maybe it was the attitude of her students rubbing off on her. Maybe it was the high spirits from the celebratory night. Whatever it was, she tried to kick that weird feeling in her stomach back and she spoke openly and reached across the table, gently resting her hand on Seteth’s as she spoke.

She thought that pushing through the weird feeling in her stomach would make it easier to talk, but somehow it got even stronger. Seteth’s hand twitched instinctively under hers, but he didn’t pull it away. The last time she had touched Seteth was when she accidentally crashed into him, and a gentler, purposeful, interaction like this made her breath catch. Even more when she looked from their hands up to his face and saw the hint of pink in his cheeks and his deep green eyes staring back at her.

“I m-mean… I’m proud of her.” Byleth tried to continue the conversation, her eyes darting back down. “She’s done a really good job too. S-she… She fit right in with everyone else. And she’s making friends too.” Seteth could tell that Byleth was just trying to fill the silence, and he had to admit he was caught off guard by how forward the professor had been, though it wasn’t entirely unwelcome and he was happy to hear that Flayn was safe in her care.

Seteth cleared his throat before speaking again. “Thank you. And… I’m glad to hear that you’re fitting in here as well, Professor.” Seteth smiled warmly at her. He hadn’t realized how hard all of this could have been for her until they had that talk, and he had a newfound level of respect for her since then.

“Um…” Byleth squeaked up, finally looking back up from staring at their physical contact. “Byleth.” She mumbled. “You can just call me Byleth.” She told him, feeling her own face burning like she had a fever. Seteth nodded, almost unsure how to respond. The two of them sat there in silence, shrouded in the moonlight, holding hands. They held onto the shared moment for just a little while longer than they needed to before they both eventually got up and finally finished the remainder of the cleaning.


	6. Lovely Bitter Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth learns more about Seteth and Flayn on a journey to the coast

Though Byleth requested that Seteth call her by name, he would continue to address her by her title. At least during professional meetings like when he and Rhea gave the monthly assignments to her. This month she was to investigate a chapel that had been broken into, a relatively simple task. Students all seemed to be giddy with excitement with the ball approaching in the same month, but the task nevertheless must still be done.

The attention span of Byleth’s Golden Deer students seemed to wane even easier than it normally would. The girls were full of whispers and gossip, asking each other who they wanted to go with and how they would like to dress for the event. Other students talked of the Goddess Tower and the promises they would like to make with each other. And more students spoke of the Heron Cup, practicing their dancing ahead of the competition. While Byleth tried her best to keep her lesson plans on target, she felt herself getting caught up in some of the excitement too.

While she had an easier time under normal circumstances, this month seemed to be extra overwhelming. Byleth found herself in her father’s office once again, talking to him for support. For some reason though, it seemed Jeralt had things to talk to her about this time too. Whatever it was they weren’t much able to get into. Jeralt had his own mission for the month, and was working on some last minute preparations around his office before he would have to depart.

“I’m glad you’re really seeming to find a place here at the monastery. You’ve far exceeded my expectations.” Jeralt stood by the door, giving his daughter a pat on the head. “But I’ll have to tell you the rest when I’m back. There isn’t enough time to go over it all here.” And with that he and the other knights were off, leaving Byleth standing there alone by his office. She stood around, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her day when she heard a familiar voice around the corner.

“For the last time Flayn, the answer is no!” Seteth’s voice rang past the hallway. Byleth wondered if his strict tone had something to do with Flayn wanting to take part in the Heron Cup. She wanted to do it so badly, and she was very talented so Byleth had agreed for Flayn to be their class representative in the competition. Maybe he didn’t want her taking up such a role? She started to approach to try and assist the conversation when she heard Seteth speak again. “It will be easier for me to do battle if I know you are safe.” Battle? Byleth wondered, but it was too late, she had already made an appearance.

“Professor! You have come at just the right time!” Flayn chimed in. “I too wish to be of use to the church! And I do admit, I am terribly worried about my brother. No matter my protests, he will not allow me to come. Will you accompany us both on this expedition?” She finished explaining.

“O… Of course.” Byleth responded, still a little shocked as to what just happened. At least she didn’t have to figure out what to do with the rest of her day. And before she knew it, her, Seteth, and the Golden Deer were on their way to the Rhodos Coast.

\----

Finally taking care of the last western church troops, the situation was finally handled. Despite the stressful battle, Byleth had to admit it was beautiful here. She hadn’t had much opportunity to visit beaches like this before and she stood on one of the small islands looking out over the horizon when she was approached by the two people that had brought her on this journey.

“Your assistance is most appreciated.” Seteth spoke up first. “To be safe I have retrieved the holy artifacts. I will entrust them to you.” Byleth stared at him, unable to hide the genuine surprise in her face. To think that he could go from questioning Rhea’s decision to trust the sword of the creator to her, to now entrusting holy weapons of his own to her. Her expression softened as she watched him speak, happy about how far they had come. “I must confess, despite the situation it was a pleasure to return here.” Seteth added, looking off to the side.

“It really is beautiful. I can see why you would like it here.” Byleth piqued up into the conversation before looking in the direction that Seteth had turned to see what he was looking at.

“This stone monument is not merely here to commemorate Saint Cichol…” Seteth’s eyebrows curled in, showing both happiness and sadness as he continued his thought. “It is also the grave of my wife.”

“Your wife…?” Byleth muttered as her attention focused on the monument. She took in a slight intake of breath, not realizing she would hold it in until she heard another voice.

“You are safe now, Mother. Finally you may find peace.” The girl’s voice softly said beside her, drawing Byleth’s attention back. “Your mother is also buried here?” She asked, saddened at the idea that these siblings could have lost both a wife and a mother. She wondered what struggles the two of them could have gone through since then, and slowly started to understand the brother’s overprotective behavior. Attention was pulled again as she heard a sigh come from her other side, Seteth turning back toward her.

“I suppose you have earned the right to know. Flayn is actually my daughter. My late wife and her mother are the same person.” He explained. And Seteths behavior suddenly made even more sense than she just thought it had.

“I… I had no idea.” Byleth responded, a slight hint of sadness coming across her tone. “I’m sorry…”

Flayn looked up from her prayers to speak again. “Mother and I came to this coast often. Fishing was her favorite pastime. I used to sit here and watch while she cast her line.”

“You did so love to eat the fish she caught, as well.” Seteth gave Flayn a sort of bittersweet smile as he recalled the memories. Byleth thought how she always spent so much time fishing back at the monastery, she promised to herself that she would always bring Flayn a fish from her spoils from now on.

“I do still come here to fish from time to time, using the skills my wife taught me. It reminds me how deeply I appreciate those years… and how I wish I could return to them.” Seteth’s face fell, likely thinking of the time in his life that has passed without his wife. “Dwell too much on the past and you may be unable to move forward.”

“I uh…” The two of them looked toward Byleth as she spoke up. “If you ever want someone to fish with, I mean… I wouldn’t mind joining you sometime. And I could cook some for you too, Flayn.” Byleth offered to the two of them in her usual quiet tone, and both of them smiled at her, feeling happy to have let someone in on their lives a bit. Byleth felt a strange feeling of belonging with the two of them in that moment.


	7. This Moment Lost in Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seteth and Byleth dance together at the ball and later run into eachother at the Goddess Tower

Upon returning to Garreg Mach, Byleth made it a point to get better at fishing. When Seteth doing his daily patrols took notice of her by the fishing pond at the same time every day, he began to join her. Sometimes they would chat, other times they would stand there beside each other in silence, focusing on the fish. It quickly grew to become one of Byleth’s favorite parts of her schedule, and she would look forward to their time together each day, and Flayn would so much look forward to the new gifts of fish that she would begin to receive. Some days she would think about it so much that the knot in her stomach would twist and turn with excitement. Many days she would plan ahead, thinking of topics to talk to Seteth about while they fished. While the silent days were relaxing, she found herself for the first time actually wanting to find more conversation. And every day after she left the fishing pond and retired to her room she would find herself repeating the events over in her head.

She sure did wish that Jeralt were here so she could talk to him about these feelings that she didn’t totally understand. The best she could compare it to was story books she heard him read to her as a child. But even in comparison to those there was so much that was different. The closest person Byleth had was the mysterious girl Sothis, but even she couldn't really give Byleth the answers or advice she was looking for.

The Heron Cup came and went, and Flayn was overjoyed to have won the dance event. Byleth felt a surge of pride as she watched her other students celebrate the win with Flayn. And with that out of the way, everyone’s attention went on to the upcoming ball.

\----

While Byleth was looking forward to the ball as much as her students, she didn’t quite realize how much would be going on until the night of it. She again wished that Jeralt was home, at the very least to show her how to dance. Byleth kept to herself as she mostly stood toward the back, watching the students dance and revel in the night. Luckily her new guide in all things social, Claude, came up at just the right time. Not letting her out of it, Claude pulled her out, and Byleth had her first ever dance with the head of her house. She hadn’t realized how fun something like this would be, as the two of them glided around the dancefloor. There was also a part of her that could see the similarities between this and navigating a battlefield. After the song ended, Byleth was released back to her spot on the sidelines to catch her breath. “Thank you, Claude.” She said, knowing that if it weren’t for him she never would have had the guts to go out there. Interactions with Claude always seemed to help Byleth gather up the courage to do those kind of acts on her own, and she was hoping she would have another chance to dance soon.

That chance came sooner than she thought it would, as a few minutes later she found Seteth standing before her. He bowed slightly, outstretching a hand before her in invitation, the other resting across his chest. “May I have this dance… Byleth?”

Byleth felt her face burn bright as Seteth finally used her name. She knew her students were probably watching and they’d definitely ask her about this later. She nodded her head, reaching out and accepting his hand. Her hand touched his so lightly at first, almost nervous to fully make contact. She bit her lower lip, unknowingly trying to conceal a smile and her growing blush as Seteth fully held onto her hand, leading her to the dance floor.

Once they were on the dancefloor she felt like she had forgotten all of the simple dance steps that Claude had just taught her. That overwhelming surge of feelings took over her, as she stared down at her feet, her body moving tensely as she tried to follow Seteth’s step. “Just breathe.” Her father’s advice- but not his voice. Byleth was jumped and looked up at Seteth. “I’ll lead you through it.” He smiled down at her, entwining his hand with hers and placing his other hand against her waist.

Byleth did as he said, taking a breath and trying to get her body to relax as the song started up and they started moving around the dance floor with the others. She had spent so much time these last few weeks replaying memories in her head, so of course it occurred to her that the last time she was this close to him was that total disaster of crashing into him. The more she thought about it, the more she began to think he somehow crashed into her emotions that day too.

Even more, this dance somehow felt like it was moving in slow motion. She tried her best to take in every detail of this moment, she wanted to cherish this forever. His wavy green hair swished as they moved- ‘_It looks really soft_’ She thought. His hand resting on her waist, it felt strong but not harsh. His footsteps confident and calculated, he had done this dance before. ‘_Of course he has, he’s from a much more noble background_’ Byleth caught herself thinking, a reminder of how different her old life had been to this new one. He was much taller than her, she had never really thought about that before. Her hand was resting across his shoulder, and like that one other time, she could tell he was very muscled under those robes. Of course he would be, being a wyvern rider but- where was her mind wandering? She scolded herself in her mind, turning her face away to hide the instinctive blush that grew on it at her own thoughts.

“Don’t worry.” Byleth felt his hand release hers, moving to lift her face up by her chin. “You’re doing good.” Seteth reassured her. He must have thought she was worried about her dancing ability, if only he knew what she was actually thinking about. She tried to lean her face into his touch, but it was removed too quickly as he took her hand back in his to continue the dance, leaving her wanting more. She watched his calm expression, thinking more about him, when the song seemed to suddenly end too fast. It was strange how a moment could feel so slow and come to pass so fast at the same time. She wanted so badly to scream, whether good or bad she wasn't entirely sure. She wanted to dance again and again to every song with him for the rest of the night.

As the song ended and their arms untangled, Seteth leaned forward and gave Byleth the lightest kiss atop her hand. Sure, many other people did that too. In fact, it seemed to be a part of how the dance ended as everyone around them did the same motion, but Byleth couldn’t help the burning feeling as it grew from her cheeks to the tips of her ears when she felt his lips graze against her skin, the slight tickle of his beard as the hair was run against her sending shivers down her spine. He led her back to where she had been standing by her class before, giving another polite bow and a nod of his head before he walked away.

And just as she was expecting, Byleth was almost immediately flocked by her students. They must have been paying extra attention to her during that dance. Byleth still felt like her skin was burning, and for some reason the corners of her mouth felt like it was twitching. As the students flocked her she felt so dizzy in the moment.

“I’ve never seen you smile like that before, Professor!” Hilda chimed in.

“Your face is all red, you okay? You need something to eat, Professor?” Raphael tried to help, not knowing what was going on.

“It really was a beautiful scene, I would love to do a painting to capture that moment.” Ignatz said, almost to himself.

She waited a few minutes for the flock of deer to calm down before quietly muttering to herself. "Can't I just turn back time and do this again?" And while Byleth had very much gotten used to the girl in her mind by this point, she was so lost in her own thoughts that she was once again jumped when the voice spoke up. "You _know_ that's not what my power is meant to be used for!!" The girl teased her, though she seemed to still be genuinely happy for Byleth.

Byleth didn’t take another dance that night, but she did find herself catching eyes with Seteth across the ballroom floor throughout the night.

\-----

After all of that, Byleth couldn’t get herself to sleep at all that night. She lay there in her bed, eyes wide and staring at the ceiling. It almost felt like her heart was going to explode from inside her chest, it was such an overwhelming feeling. A part of her felt happy, she couldn’t believe all of that happened. She also felt sad that it had passed so quickly, and sad that she hadn’t had the guts to go ask him for another dance. She felt guilty too- he had a wife. He’s already loved, why would he feel this toward her. By the way- what was this that she felt? Byleth was never one for understanding her emotions very well, that’s what Jeralt was there to help with though. She would have to ask his advice when he returned. After much too long sitting there and not accomplishing any amount of sleep, Byleth got up from her bed and decided to take a walk through the night air to clear her head.

She mindlessly walked through the monastery, it seemed so different at night without student’s filling every corner. There were still the dogs and cats, but even many of them were asleep. She didn’t pay too much attention as she walked around though, and that was how Byleth ended up in the Goddess Tower in the middle of the night in her nightgown. It was late enough that the crowds of students had long gone to bed, no longer fighting for the chance to go up to the tower with their chosen ones. She stood by one of the balconies, looking at the stars and the moon outside and watching some soft fluffy clouds float by. She finally found herself relaxing, her head starting to clear as she focused on the cool air. She leaned against the railing, closing her eyes and just focusing on her breathing.

“Byleth?” A man’s voice was surprised as it approached behind her. Byleth jumped so high, she practically fell off the balcony she was looking out of. A hand quickly reached out, grabbing ahold of her arm. Suddenly it felt like all of that mind clearing relaxation was gone as Byleth found herself being held by Seteth once again. “What are you doing out here, it’s the middle of the night! And you’re- You’re in your nightgown? It’s cold out you’ll get sick!” He scolded her, though by now Byleth could tell there was more concern in his voice than strictness. She could also tell as his eyes hyperfocused on hers, no doubt trying to avoid gazing at her nightdress. Byleth didn’t see anything wrong with it, but she was sure he would see it as indecent. That’s just the kind of man he was.

“I uh…” Byleth mumbled, eyes flashing from Seteth’s dark green eyes focused on her, to back outside the window. “I could ask you the same thing.” She said. Seteth sighed in response, loosening his grip on her arm, though not letting go of the contact completely.

“I was just coming to make sure there weren’t any students still up here, and I find a professor.” Seteth pinched between his brows in a feigned frustration. Byleth let the tension leave her body as she relaxed again. She thought for some reason it might be easier to talk if she closed her eyes, so she did as she stepped away from the window to lean against Seteth’s body. He could tell she was unsure of the action though, her body felt light like a feather just barely putting any weight at all against him. “I had fun tonight.” Her tiny soft spoken voice finally said something again. “I hope we can do something like this again.” She wished, not even thinking of what the Goddess Tower could bring. She still felt unsure in how he would respond, but she felt like she wanted to be selfish and hold onto this moment for herself. She exhaled a deep breath she had been holding in, her eyes closed and finally starting to feel tired as the day caught up with her.

“Yes.” Seteth agreed, allowing Byleth to rest herself against him, no matter how lightly it was. He rested a hand on her shoulder. ‘_The stars really do look beautiful from the view of Garreg Mach_’ he thought, watching the fluffy clouds cross the sky before speaking again. “Let me walk you back to the dormitory. We don’t want you getting ill and missing out on any of your lessons.”


	8. Still you Lead Me, Never Leave Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR SPOILERS for chapter 9 of FE;3H

It was supposed to be an easy job. Investigate the chapel. No one was expecting demonic beasts to be attacking at that moment. Luckily with the help of the Golden Deer students and Jeralt the battle was quickly handled.

Byleth followed Jeralt into the chapel, hoping to find some kind of evidence inside. Not much in the ways of evidence, but there was one more student hiding in there. Monica, the girl that they had rescued with Flayn. Byleth had never really gotten to know her too well, but she seemed like a sweet girl. Jeralt sent her on her way when…

He gasped as he felt the sharp pain in his back.

The student watched down as Jeralt collapsed. She was saying something, but Byleth couldn’t comprehend the words. Her entire body was instantly flooded with panic. She wanted to scream, and she almost did before she called upon Sothis to turn back the wheels of fate. It would be scary, but she could fix this. Jeralt would be okay. He HAD to be okay.

Colors flashed before her eyes and things went back- Jeralt was shooing off the girl after rescuing her from the beasts… or? Whatever the situation, she was back to that moment.

Byleth watched as the girl stepped behind Jeralt, and ready for what would happen this time she wielded her weapon. The sword of the creator reached out to intercept her, but something got in it’s way. Solon? No- someone else.

‘_No, no no no no._’ Was all that Byleth could think as she watched Monica plunge the dagger into her father for a second time. The dark mage grabbed ahold of Monica and the two of them vanished. This couldn’t be happening. Not after she used the power of a god to fix it.

Byleth ran as fast as she could up to Jeralt as he crashed onto the ground, gasping for breath. She tried to be as careful as she could as she lifted him up into her arms. There had to be some way to fix this. There were doctors, healing magic, something. Anything.

“Sorry…” Jeralt grunted, looking up from her arms. “It looks like… I’m going to have to leave you now.” He winced with pain, squeezing his eyes shut. He felt a drop of water fall onto his face and then another, only to look up and see Byleth crying. “N-No…” She whimpered, still not wanting to believe it was real.

“Thank you… kid.” And he was gone. The rain began to fall around them. For many people at Garreg Mach that night would be the loudest they ever heard Byleth get, as she sat there in the rain clutching her father’s body and screaming.


	9. You were Crouching at my Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some good ole hurt/comfort

The night of Jeralt’s death Byleth screamed until her voice gave out. She sat there in the rain with him sobbing until Claude carefully pulled her away, guards coming to take his body away. Her students were in complete and utter shock.

She spent the first few days after it happened alone, refusing to leave her room. When she finally began to emerge, it was only for food, and she remained completely silent.

Students tried to reach out to her. Some would wonder if she had even heard them as Byleth was almost completely unresponsive to their words. While it was appreciated, She didn’t much feel like talking to anyone. She didn’t bother trying to hide the redness of her eyes or the bags under them from lack of sleep.

\----

One of the first days she dared to venture farther than the dining hall was to visit his office. It was late afternoon, and she hoped that most people would have turned in for the night by that time. She wasn’t entirely sure why she was there in his office. She usually came here for his support and guidance, but he was gone now. Just an empty room of his belongings. She never did get to hear what he wanted to talk about. She never did get to ask him those questions. She never did get to get that advice she thought she needed. She sat in the middle of his office on the floor, silently letting her tears fall again. She hoped no one would find her, but she also didn’t care anymore at this point.

By the time she finally pulled herself up she felt heavy and tired. She wasn’t sure what possessed her, but instead of going back to her own room Byleth took a step across the hallway. She gently knocked on the door to Seteth’s office, again not sure what she was doing. The biggest thing she felt inside was that she didn’t care anymore. She was just letting her body act without thinking things through. So when Seteth opened the door, Byleth just stood there silently.

“... Byleth?” She could tell the way his attitude shifted- first answering with a frustration at who could be interrupting his work so late, then seeing the way his shoulders relaxed as he saw it was her. She continued to stand there, fighting the feeling of tears welling in her eyes again, unsure if she should say something or just walk away. “Come in.” He spoke up again before she could figure it out, stepping aside and inviting her into the office.

She followed what he said, awkwardly stepping besides him and standing in the center of the room trying to figure out why she was here. “I was just going over some notes but…” Seteth closed the door behind her and followed her in. Byleth was so lost in her own emotions, there was no way that she could pick up on the fact that Seteth’s stomach did flips the same way hers often did around him. She was mostly unresponsive, but he could tell she just needed some comfort. Maybe it was because the two of them had grown closer over the past few months, maybe it was because she knew he had also dealt with the death of a loved one. Whatever the reason, she was here now, and he would try his best to help.

“Come.” Seteth almost ordered her. He led her to a couch in one corner of his office, guiding her to sit down. He only turned away briefly to fetch a blanket and wrap it around her shoulders. “Sometimes Flayn likes to nap in here.” He offered as a brief explanation. He picked up the book he was going over from his desk and brought it over with him as he sat beside Byleth on the couch. “If you want to talk, talk. If you don’t, that will be okay too. Regardless, I will be here.”

Byleth stared toward the ground, clutching the blanket around her. She nodded slowly in response, still not able to speak. She sat quietly with him for a few minutes before gesturing with her head toward the book in his hand.

“Oh this?” Seteth asked, lifting the book up. Byleth scooted closer to him on the couch, leaning against him and looking at the book in his hands. “A text on the four saints. I was just reviewing it.” He explained the book, opening it to the page he had left off on. Byleth leaned against him, reading the book over his shoulder as he picked up where he was in it.

Eventually Seteth felt the need to shift his position, and trying not to disturb Byleth’s position, he wrapped the arm she had been leaning against around her. He hoped this would come off as a gesture of comfort and not him trying to come onto her in such a dark time. The gesture was welcomed by Byleth as she adjusted her own position to rest her head on his chest. It wasn’t until Seteth felt the wetness on his robe that he realized Byleth had started crying again. She was somehow so eerily quiet about it. Not wanting to draw more attention to it, he said nothing. Instead he decided to gently rub her head, feeling her hair slide through his fingers as he comforted her.

“Thank you, Seteth.” She finally spoke for the first time after entering his room, voice barely audible above a breath. Byleth rested there against Seteth’s chest until the weariness of crying caught up with her and she eventually fell asleep. When Seteth eventually noticed, he couldn’t bring himself to wake her. She looked like she was finally having a peaceful sleep after so many nights awake. ‘_Maybe just a few moments longer._’ He thought, continuing to trace his fingers through her hair as she peacefully slept against him. He WAS planning to eventually wake her, but at some point he too fell asleep on the couch, cradling Byleth in one arm, the book in his other hand.

\-----

The next morning, Byleth was the first to awaken. She was confused initially, not recognizing this ceiling, confused about the strong arm holding onto her. ‘_Oh right- Seteth_.’ She thought as she recalled the night before. She lifted her head to look up toward him. ‘_That can’t be comfortable.'_ She thought to herself as she took in Seteth’s awkward position, mostly sitting upright but resting his head against the arm of the couch. She smiled to herself though, he looked so peaceful. As much as she wanted to continue to lay there with him, she could only imagine how sore his body must be from sleeping that way. She reached up, sliding some of his green hair out of his face- it was as soft as she thought it would have been on that night- lightly caressing down his face and feeling the hair of his beard across his jawline.

The sensation was just enough to start to stir Seteth, his eyebrows downturning as the soreness of his body came into his consciousness. When he eventually opened his eyes his cheeks were almost immediately flushed when he realized Byleth was still there in his arms. “Ah- Professor.” He greeted her in a way as if he had just walked into her in the hallway during the middle of classes.

“Now hardly seems the time for formalities.” Byleth replied, voice hoarse and scratchy from lack of use over the past few days. She finally sat up, taking her weight off him so he could sit normally again too. “Seteth…” She tried to start again, clearing her throat to try and get her voice to sound normal again.

His expression softened as he watched her try to come up with the words. “Hush. Think nothing of it.” He said, almost like an order. “And… shall you ever need it.” He started, unsure himself what to call this. “Well you know where to find me.” Seteth finished. He was reminded of the way Byleth once offered to fish with him and how that had since become a part of their normal activities. Though he was scared to admit it, he hoped that this too would become some part of their norm.


	10. She saw Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for chapter 10 of FE;3H !!

It would be a while before Byleth would spend a full night with Seteth again, though she did find herself in his office on her free days much more often. Relaxing in his office was enough to motivate her to leave her own room, and slowly she would return to her regular schedule. Dealing with Jeralt’s death would never be easy, she would still cry sometimes when she thought about how useless she felt back then, but slowly she would be able to handle it better.

The only thing to motivate Byleth more than the easy comfort of Seteth was news that her father’s killers were nearby. Rhea didn’t want her to get involved, but Byleth would not take no for an answer. The sadness in her eyes turned into rage.

The Golden Deer students fought with a ferocity they hadn’t fought with before. Seeing their professor in such a state over this past month caused them to fight with their all. Leonie most of all, having her own connections with Jeralt felt a strong need for revenge too. Despite how well they all fought, something still went wrong.

\----

Darkness.

All she could see was darkness.

At first she felt that anger and rage swell within her at being held back from getting her revenge but… Where was she? And her students? The anger immediately turned to concern as she looked around trying to find them or anyone.

“Claude? Flayn? Hilda?” Byleth called out into the darkness trying to find the others. It wasn’t until she heard the voice of Sothis that she could tell she was somewhere else.

“What were you thinking charging right into an enemy’s trap?!” Sothis exclaimed, a bright green light appeared, almost blinding, and then the girl appeared before Byleth. “Even a boulder has more sense!!” Sothis scolded.

“I’m sorry.” Byleth responded, feeling her heart drop. The only place she had seen Sothis like this before was in dreams. Was she asleep? Was she dead? She wasn’t ready to be dead. She had to be there for her students. She couldn’t let them get hurt without her there to protect them.

“It would take a god to leave this place. In time our hearts and minds will cease to be. Are you prepared to die?” Sothis explained, her eyebrows curling in an expression of concern as she fully realized their situation.

“No!! I’m not!” Byleth shouted at the girl. Though she knew Sothis was not at fault for their current situation, she still let her frustration come through in her voice.

“I thought as much… There is no other choice…” Sothis trailed off, looking away.

“What do you mean? What choice is there?” Byleth questioned, willing to take any opportunity to get out of here.

“I do not know how Rhea managed it, but she allowed me to exist inside of you. It is within you that I found my power yet again. The power of a goddess. The power of the progenitor god.”

“...” Byleth made a sound somehow expressing both surprise and confusion. The Sothis in her was THE Sothis? The goddess Sothis?

“I am Sothis, she who died and then returned.” The smaller girl finished her explanation.

“I know.” Byleth stated despite her surprise. “I somehow know it to be true.” Byleth nodded, understanding the situation. Understanding Sothis finally.

“I must use the power of a god… I must relinquish all of the power that I have… to you.” Sothis sat up from where she was leaning on her throne to speak more clearly. “When that happens, I shall disappear. You and I will never be apart, But I will no longer have the ability to speak with you.”

Byleth stared, taking in the new information. Realizing that she would be losing yet another person that had been there with her through it all. Though she may not be really gone, she would be gone to Byleth. “Thank you… For everything.” She said. There would never really be the right words- enough words- to properly explain to Sothis all she had done for her. But somehow, Byleth knew that she would know. She was part of her after all.

“No need for words. I know your heart as though it were my own.” Sothis smiled before leaning back and resting her face on her hand. She finally got up from her throne, stepping her way down the stairs until she was face to face with Byleth. A magical aura swirled around them, glowing and glittering as Sothis and Byleth fused into one.

Everything was dark again.

Byleth wielded the sword of the creator, cutting a hole in the dimension itself. There was Solon, right where she had last seen him. Her students were there, safe, but ready to battle again. Byleth and the Golden Deer charged forward, finishing their fight.

\----

When Byleth woke up she was laying in Rhea’s lap. The archbishop explained that she had received power from the goddess. And- her appearance. Byleth hadn’t noticed before but it seems her hair had changed. It was now a pale green in color, same as her eyes. She was so… so tired though. Byleth wanted to get up, but couldn’t fight it and soon fell back to sleep on Rhea’s lap.

\----

“What is the meaning of how that one looks? It’s almost as if…” Seteth questioned Rhea. Ever since Byleth arrived he felt like there was so much she wasn’t telling him.

“As I said, there is nothing of which to speak. For now.” Rhea responded, not turning to give her attention to Seteth. He had to understand though, he couldn’t stand being kept in the dark about even more things, especially when she looked like…

“I read Jeralt’s diary.” He retorted. After letting Claude borrow it, Seteth was the only other person that Byleth had chosen to share it with. She trusted him, and he had more knowledge of the monastery than she did. She had hoped that his insight would help.

“What?” Rhea finally turned, shock on her face.

“In it he stated the reason for his departure. Jeralt realized that you had done something to the child and decided to flee. What did you do to that baby, Rhea?” He asked pointedly. He had to know what was going on. But Rhea continued to avoid the questions, not presenting any answers to Seteth.

“She will be here soon.” Rhea stated, not responding to Seteth’s inquiries. “You may come in.” She called toward the door.

Seteth tried his best to wipe and concern from his face, turning toward the entrance and watching Byleth come in. He somehow felt both relief and worry at seeing her again. Rhea spoke with Byleth, explaining her task for the month. She was to visit the Holy Tomb to receive a revelation from the goddess.


	11. Tea Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How have I not written tea time into this fic until now??

Ever since her return to Garreg Mach it felt like everyone had been asking Byleth questions that she didn’t have the answers to. Why did her hair change? Where did she go? How did this happen? Does she feel differently? Upon many others. It felt like things just kept ramping up, and so much had happened over the last couple of months. She still would find herself coming to Jeralt’s room, almost forgetting he wasn’t there anymore. And whenever that happened, she would turn around and knock on Seteth’s door to talk with him instead.

“Byleth.” Seteth greeted her with a smile. “I was just stepping out to have some tea, care to join me?” He asked her. It felt refreshing to talk to him normally. He was one of the only people not asking her questions right now. Probably because he knew she didn’t know the answers, instead his questions were all being directed toward Rhea since her return. And while Byleth’s appearance had changed, she was still the same person. 

“I would like that very much.” Byleth nodded, holding onto his arm as they walked out to the gardens. They would pass it off as Seteth just acting gentlemanly, but both of them often found themselves craving the other’s touch and affection. Neither of them would admit how they felt, never actually putting it into words. But Byleth’s students knew. In fact, they had bets going on when she wasn’t around, trying to guess when the two of them would FINALLY get together and which one of them would say it first. Surprisingly, Flayn took a major part in these discussions too. She knew both Seteth and Byleth on a closer level than some of the other students, and she loved seeing her father this happy. She hadn’t seen him act like this since her mother was around. Though they both missed mother, she always remembered her advice about not getting stuck in the past. Others could guess how long it was since Seteth last acted like this, but only Flayn knew how long it really was. 

The sunlight streamed down on them in the garden, the warm tea and pastries tasting delicious. It was exactly what Byleth needed right then, a perfect tea time. They spoke about things at the monastery, really both just wanting to hear the others voice. 

“How have your classes been since then? Do you need any assistance?” Seteth asked, checking in on how she was doing with her job. 

“I think they’ve been okay. My students, they understand.” Byleth started, swirling the tea in her cup before her. “We haven’t let this hold us back though. In fact it’s motivated all of us to work harder and to get stronger.” She reassured him about the state of the Golden Deer. 

Byleth got a little distracted, getting lost in her thoughts. She jumped in her seat when she felt Seteth reaching toward her, sliding a stray piece of now pale green hair behind her ear. Her cheeks gained a rosey hue as she leaned into his touch, but her eyes caught with his, noticing his expression change. His face was once soft for her turned to one of surprise as he felt her ear behind her hair. Not many people had noticed that change considering Byleth’s hair usually covered her ears anyways, but ever since her fusion with Sothis, her ears now came to a point on the ends.   
“I-” Seteth pulled his hand back, holding one hand in the other as he thought. “I must know what happened to you.” He said softly, his own gaze falling to his hands. Though he wasn’t looking at her he felt Byleth shift uncomfortably. 

“I uh… I would like to tell you.” She tried to speak. “But I don’t know…” She trailed off, taking a sip of her tea. “I need to know too.” she placed the teacup back down on its saucer. 

“I know.” He assured her. “We’ll find out, though.” He let go of his own hand, giving it back to her and rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. “Whatever happens, know that I am proud to support you.”


	12. Ready to Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A soft moment based on Seteth and Byleth's B support

“Professor, a moment?” Seteth asked. Byleth was sitting in his office again, reading a book while he worked. Byleth placed her bookmark to keep her spot, putting the book down to listen to what he had to say. Seteth stopped his own work, getting up from his desk to go sit beside her.

He had been thinking a lot about their previous interactions, especially those toward the beginning in comparison to how they were now. “I am sorry that I doubted your ability. I deeply regret ever holding such a view of you. It is obvious to me now that you are extraordinary.” 

“Really?” Byleth raised her hand to her cheek as she asked the question. It was far from an admission of feelings, but it was the closest Seteth had ever gotten to one. 

“Do you doubt your own power even now? I suppose that’s only natural. You’ve lived your whole life knowing next to nothing about yourself.” He thought for a moment on the secrets that only Rhea seemed to know. The secrets that she would not share with anyone. “Not even Jeralt could have possibly known all there is to know about you. But I wonder… Are you satisfied with that?” He had to know, and he presumed that she would too. Whatever it was, he would try to get it out of Rhea. As long as that’s what Byleth wanted, he would be willing.

“What do you mean?” She asked him, her hand lingering by the side of her head. She wasn’t sure… What there was to know about her really. She knew everything she could know, and without Jeralt how could she learn those secrets of her past? Even his journal didn’t give all of the answers.

“Are you content not knowing who you are?” Seteth asked pointedly, placing his hand against her cheek. She felt his fingers glide through her now green hair and brush against her pointed ear, his thumb caressing her cheek. “Or do you yearn to know more?” 

“I…” She rested her hand against his, holding it there to her face. “I wish to know more.”

“That was a foolish question. You are not the sort to be complacent.” Seteth grinned to himself, truly admiring the woman before him. “So only one more question matters.” Byleth tilted her head slightly as if to wordlessly ask what that question was. “Are you ready?”

“For what?” 

“The truth. All of it.” he stated, thinking upon his own pointed ears. He was glad in a way that Byleth hadn’t noticed his own yet. No doubt she would have questions for him, and without Rhea he did not have those answers. He would like to tell her someday, of course. But he needed to figure out more before he could. 

“You may decide, once you learn it, that you wish you hadn’t.” He sometimes forgot how much of a shock things could be to normal humans. He couldn’t remember the last time he told someone who he actually was. Of course, Byleth never really was a normal human, was she? “But even if you have such regrets, you will never be able to return to ignorance. So, are you ready to know the truth?” He asked finally. How she responded now would be his motivation to speak with Rhea once again. 

“Yes. I am.” Byleth stated plainly, confidently. She didn’t understand this either, but if someone could help her find the answers? She needed to know. “Everyone is asking me these things. I just… I don’t have the answers to any of it. I never have.” 

“I see.” Seteth spoke. He swallowed before pulling Byleth close, holding her in his arms. She sighed, relaxing against him. It was so quiet, all she could hear was the sound of his heart beating in his chest. Finally he spoke up again. “As Rhea continues to have faith in you, you will continue to have my aid. More than that…” He let go of Byleth so he could look into her eyes as he continued to speak. “I will put my faith in you as well. And I will do all that is within my power to help you someday reach the truth.” Seteth promised both to her and to himself. He had to speak with Rhea as soon as possible. She knew something about all of this and she had to let it out. For Byleth’s sake.


	13. Her Majesty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers!! The identity of the Flame Emperor is discovered

The throne was so familiar. It was the seat that Byleth had seen Sothis sitting in so many times. Except this time it was a real physical thing.

“Sit in it.” Rhea commanded. Byleth wasn’t entirely sure what was supposed to happen. A message from the goddess? Byleth had heard from her so many times before though. And knowing the way Sothis spoke, all she could imagine was the girl scolding her, not some kind of meaningful message or mission for her to complete. Whatever was supposed to happen didn’t, as Byleth sat silently on the throne, her students watching and waiting.

“What could possibly be missing?” Rhea closed her eyes, thinking back.

“It seems some uninvited guests have arrived.” Before they could figure it out, Claude noticed someone entering behind them. The Flame Emperor and their troops flowed into the crypt behind the Golden Deer students.

“You will atone for the sin of trampling on this holy resting place!” Rhea spoke with a rage that none here had ever heard from her before. “Professor! Destroy these villainous traitors who dare dishonor our creator!” Rhea practically yelled. If it weren’t such a serious moment, Byleth was sure Claude would have made some kind of joking comment at hearing her speak that way. But there was no time for jokes, Empire troops loyal to the flame emperor started trying to raid the graves.

Byleth’s mind quickly shifted to battle mindset as she lept down from the throne, beginning to issue orders to her students.

“Hilda, Marianne, you take the right. Lorenz, Leonie, the left. Lysithea, Ignatz, you two follow behind. Claude and Flayn come with me.” She ordered, wielding the sword of the creator and preparing for battle.

\----

“So. The end has come.” Edelgard spoke from within the armor of the Flame Emperor.

“Is this some kind of sick joke?!” Claude exclaimed, almost unable to believe it if it weren’t for the girl standing in front of him.

“You have disappointed me Edelgard.” Rhea spoke, barely containing the anger in her voice. “Professor. Kill Edelgard at once.” The archbishop ordered. Byleth stood frozen, knuckles white on the handle of her weapon. Despite the rage she herself felt, this person had caused her and her students so much pain, she still felt some kind of hesitation inside.

“I have achieved my goal. I will retreat.” Edelgard spoke without care in her voice. Byleth couldn’t help but feel some kind of relief, even if she knew this problem would just come back later to haunt her. “Farewell Professor. If we meet again it shall be on the battlefield.” And in a blink Edelgard disappeared with the help of Hubert. Seeing him, Byleth could only wonder how many of the students were in on it, how many of them would side with Edelgard. How many of them would betray them.

Whatever Byleth was thinking could not drown out Rhea’s outraged screams to Edelgard, even after she had left. It scared Byleth, how someone so gentle and kind could threaten a once ally in such a way, no hesitation in her voice at all.

“Once things calm down a bit, there’s a lot more that Rhea needs to tell us.” Claude told his professor after the archbishop took her leave. That was something many of them could get on board with at this point.

\-----

“I cannot believe it.” Seteth spoke with Byleth in the audience chamber the next day. “After you returned from the holy tomb…” He started, almost overwhelming himself with what he was about to say. “The Adrestian Empire declared war on the Church of Seiros as well as all of our allies.”

“D-Declared war?” Byleth stuttered out. With that declaration any small glimmer of hope that this somehow could have been a misunderstanding of some kind was gone. That really WAS Edelgard in the Flame Emperor armor.

As if sensing what Byleth was thinking, Seteth explained what else he knew of the situation. “Edelgard demanded her own father relinquish the throne, and then assumed the position of emperor. She has deemed the Church of Seiros to be an evil of this world, and is calling upon the people of Fodlan to help her tear it down.”

“Evil of this world?” Byleth’s eyes fell. “How could something that changed my life in such a great way be an evil?” Byleth spoke, unaware that she had actually said it out loud and not just thought it in her head.

Seteth’s eyes softened for her, placing a hand on her shoulder as he spoke again. “I must discuss our response to this declaration with the archbishop after the knights return from their investigation. Until then, watch over the students. See that they remain calm.” It was all he could ask of her. They both knew in that moment that life as they knew it was about to change forever. Whether for the good or for bad they couldn’t tell yet.

Byleth nodded to him, taking a few deep breaths before she stepped away to go speak with her students again.


	14. Love in the Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think this might be one of my favorite parts I've written so far 
> 
> Seteth learns why Byleth is like that, and she spends the night opening up to him before the upcoming battle.  
Also Byleth finally realizes that she loves him

“You must have guessed it by now. The truth of who you really are. Only you can lead the people of Fodlan.”

The words stuck with Byleth as she left the audience chamber, mind swirling with questions.

Seteth held his tongue until she left, finally turning to question Rhea again.

“Rhea please. You must tell me all that you know, I beg of you.” He pleaded to the archbishop. “She is…” He stopped, going over his own theories that he had been coming up with until this point. “She is the progenitor god. Am I correct?”

“In a sense.” Rhea sighed, gathering herself before she spoke. “Our dear professor is a… vessel. One who carries the power of the progenitor god within. In time the vessel shall become one with the power contained within, and the progenitor god shall return to this world.”

“I see.” Seteth felt his heart drop. Was his Byleth truly doomed? “I trust that you are aware of the... questionable nature of this experiment?” He asked, doing his best to contain his emotions while questioning Rhea’s judgement. “But I suppose there is no turning back…” He swallowed his feelings if only to get through the rest of the conversation and learn what more he could.

“I ask that you help our friend… and in doing so help her.” Rhea said, referring to the goddess. “I am waiting and hoping for the moment when our creator rules this wayward land once more.” Rhea finished, closing her eyes in thought.

“I understand.” Seteth felt a pang of emotion, thinking that this is how Jeralt must have felt all those years ago. Though he knew it to be wrong, he knew it wouldn’t change anything. Still, a part inside of him still thought of running away from this all with Byleth.

\----

Seteth paced his room a few weeks later one night, going over it all again in his head. What did Rhea do to that baby to put the progenitor god inside of her? Why did it have to be her? How could she feel okay with that decision? He was so deep in thought that he was startled to hear a knock at his door. A knock this late must be something important so he rushed to answer it. Were he in his office he would expect it to be Byleth, but she had never come to his personal room before. He was expecting maybe Flayn, or goddess forbid- maybe Rhea had more to tell him. But it turns out his first thought was correct as Byleth stood before his door in her full armor.

“They’ll be here tomorrow.” She spoke before he could greet her, her expression plain and emotionless.

“Indeed they will be.” He spoke. “Can I… help you?” His confusion shining through his voice. Seteth stepped aside, almost automatic behavior to let her in.

“Let me stay here tonight.” Byleth said, staring at her feet. The way she was speaking now, it was almost how she gave orders in battle. It was like the things she was saying were planned and practiced, rehearsed so she could actually say them when the time came.

“Of course.” Seteth agreed, letting her step in. Byleth lifted her head, looking around the room. Slightly bigger than her dorm room, but not terribly large. Everything seemed to be neatly put away, like it all had a place. On one side of the room Seteth had a bookshelf and a desk. It was so like him to never stop working, even on his off time. She took a deep breath in, it smelled like him.

“Would you like to take my bed?” He offered her. She turned around to face where he still was standing by the door and shook her head. “Nonsense, the battle is coming tomorrow. You are our most valued commander. You must have a restful sleep before…” Before we are attacked he wanted to say, but couldn’t bring himself to.

“Um…” She squeaked out, eyes averting his. Her mind raced trying to think of the right word to explain. “Sh… Share.” She said, squeezing her eyes shut as she spoke.

“Oh… Yes. Ah. Very well.” Seteth responded stiffly, though accepted. “Please, get comfortable then.” Seteth followed.

“I… only brought my armor… for the battle tomorrow.” Byleth thought out loud and stared down at herself, realizing she hadn’t actually prepared for spending a night somewhere else. Seteth smirked a bit at how clueless this woman was. “Here.” He went to his wardrobe, trying to find some nightclothes that might be acceptable for her to borrow for the night.

He offered them to her before he turned away, sitting on the side of his bed and waiting. He sat facing the other way as he heard the shift of clothing, Byleth removing her jacket and armor. “Ah, thanks.” She sat next to him finally. She couldn’t help but let the smallest hint of a smile escape her when she saw Seteth’s face and the blush on it as he looked at her sitting there in just her shorts and one of his loose billowy white undershirts, matching the one he had on.

“I just-”  
“Byleth, I-”  
Both of them stopped as they spoke at the same time, trying to let the other speak first. Eventually Byleth spoke up again.

“I don’t know how Edelgard could do this. I don’t want our lives here to change…” She took a practiced breath before she finished. “I’m scared.” She admitted.

“I understand it is hard for you but… Byleth, please talk to me.” Seteth spoke softly to her, giving her the space to say what was on her mind.

She nodded thankfully. “Seteth…” She wasn’t entirely sure how to start it, but she had so much on her mind. “When… back then. When you first asked to speak with me. I was scared then that this would change.” her voice was shaky, but she said the thoughts as they came to her head. “And then…” She looked at him, her eyes almost sparkling. “Well it did change, but in a way I never could have imagined.” She took his hand in her own as she sat there in his bed.

“But… I uh, I guess the good changes couldn’t last. My father…” Byleth’s pale green eyes lowered, unable to finish the sentence. “And then whatever happened with Sothis- now she’s gone.” She continued. It was the closest she had ever gotten to saying out loud that she could commune with Sothis, but she didn’t linger on it or explain further. “I thought after that. Well things would HAVE to calm down, right? But now this… and Edelgard... “ Her voice faded, but she tried her best to fight through it to finish what she was saying. “You’re, ah… You’re important to me, s-Seteth and… I don’t want to lose you too.”

Seteth sighed as Byleth finished explaining. He pulled her fully onto the bed, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. He sat there cradling her for a few silent minutes as he thought about what he had learned from Rhea. He couldn’t bear the thought that she would inevitably be taken over by the goddess and be gone. “Byleth, you are very important to me as well.” Seteth instinctively placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. “No matter how this battle goes, I will stay by your side.”

Byleth nuzzled her face against Seteth, truly wanting to believe what he said. There was still a part of her that couldn’t though. That’s what her father said too- he said he would always be there. What if she messed up again? What if she couldn’t save everyone?

Seteth felt Byleth’s body tense, starting to shake in his arms. Her breathing started to get faster and shorter. He held her away so he could see her when he spoke again. “Breathe, Byleth.” He ordered her. He slid her stray messy hairs behind her ears and out of her face. “You must have faith. You see the strength in your students. It is okay to be scared, but Byleth, you must see that the same strength lies within yourself as well.”

Byleth followed what he said, breathing and listening to his words. She placed her hands over Seteth’s forearms, holding onto him. Her eyes scanned across his face, absorbing every detail so close up. She never noticed, he had the slightest hints of lines around his eyes. That would be the only hint one could find to his real age, but even that did not reveal the half of it.

It was almost ridiculous. Byleth was sitting in his bed, wearing his clothes. She was wrapped up with him, both of them holding onto each other. She had danced with him, he looked out for her. She had gone to him for guidance, eventually fallen asleep with him, and spent practically every day with him. He let her in on his secrets and she felt comfortable opening up to him about hers. He caused her heart to flutter every time they were alone together, something she had never once felt before. And every time they touched, even if it was just the brush of a hand against hers, her stomach did flips. Yet somehow, it took until this very moment here for her to finally realize what all of her students and basically everyone else around her had known for weeks. She was utterly and completely in love with Seteth.

\----

When they both eventually decided to turn in it was a little earlier than either of them would on a normal day, considering the next day’s battle. Seteth cautiously opened his arm to Byleth, and she happily curled into him, resting her head against his chest and gently placing her hand across it. Once she was comfortable, he relaxed, wrapping his arm around her.

Byleth very carefully pulled at the opening of his shirt, lightly tracing circles across his muscled chest until she eventually fell asleep against him.

\----

Seteth awoke first the next morning. He found himself wrapped around Byleth, his body spooning the woman. He gave her a squeeze, trying to count how many hundreds of years it had been since he last felt this. He pulled himself up to lean on one arm, using the free one to caress her, trying to be as gentle as possible waking her up.

“Good morning, Byleth.” he whispered to her as her eyes started to blink open. “It’s time.”


	15. Promises you Made to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 💋
> 
> The battle of Garreg Mach

Byleth spoke with her students before the battle. They were at a disadvantage, even with rallying the troops of local nobles they were outnumbered. It was hard to see this turning out in their favor, yet Byleth believed in her students as well as the others around the monastery. They could do this. They could protect their home from Edelgard. Each of her students took turns speaking, saying their part. The confidence Byleth had for the battle was strong in each of them too.

“Hey Teach, all joking aside. Can we possibly survive this battle?” Claude asked her after the others had all left. 

“We have to, Claude. We’ll find a way.” She reassured him, determination in her eyes. 

“Professor.” Byleth heard a voice call toward her before she could follow Claude out. “I will fight by your side.” Seteth, ready for battle. 

“I know. You promised to be there for me” She approached him, taking a quick glance around to make sure none of her students were still hanging around. Once she was sure she got closer to Seteth, placing her hands on either side of his cheeks and pulling his face down, level with hers. She kicked aside all fear as the adrenaline of the upcoming battle took control- She kissed him. She felt him stiffen at first before relaxing into it, his hands gripping onto her and pulling her closer. They both had to fight to pull away from the kiss. If it weren’t for the incoming attack, they probably wouldn’t have stopped.

She had no idea how long he had been wanting to do that too.

\-----

“Everybody here, young and old, is in your hands.” Rhea smiled, speaking calmly to Byleth. The battle was going in their favor and the end seemed to be in sight when Edelgard had called in reserve troops. Their allies were tired and worn out, they couldn’t handle another wave of attack. Byleth took her leave at Rhea’s signal, seeing a bright green light out of the corner of her eye as she left. She had only seen a glow like that one other time before- Sothis. 

As Byleth tried to lead the troops, those who could fight on the front line and those who could no longer retreating to the back, she saw it in the sky. A giant white dragon flew over the battlefield, growling and roaring as it soared the sky. The beast landed, stomping on the Empire troops and shooting a fiery beam across the front line and through nearby buildings.

A swarm of demonic beasts charged toward the dragon, piling upon it and holding it down. Byleth saw the dragon getting beaten back and she knew. She ran in alone, shooting her weapon forward into one of the beasts on the dragon. It was enough to assist it, and the dragon threw the remaining beasts off. 

“Why did you come?” The dragon spoke, and Byleth knew. This was Rhea. But it seemed the dragon may not have been talking to her as she turned around and saw the group behind her. Byleth could never forget that face. That was the dark mage that showed up on the night of her father’s death. 

The mage summoned an orb of dark magical energy, and Byleth braced for the impact of the attack. It shot her back, but she was able to catch herself. At least she thought she did. Before she could even process what was happening the ground beneath her feet was collapsing. Byleth tried to scream, but the only thing that was left was the sensation of falling.

All she saw after that was darkness.


	16. A Grief that Can't be Spoken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact!! Listen to "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" and cry like I did while writing this!!!!

The battle seemed to be going well, and despite the odds it seemed things could turn out in favor of the monastery. But the tides of war change quickly, and soon the monastery started to be overrun. Dragons flew in the sky, demonic beasts trampled through the grounds, and Seteth saw troops fall to the Empire. In the panic he had only a few things on his mind- Flayn. Rhea. Byleth. He had to find the three of them before retreating. 

The majority of the students got away as the dragon provided a distraction. As soon as he caught Flayn in the Chaos the two of them did not leave each other’s sides. They held hands, only letting go to fight off any enemies that made it that far into the monastery. 

“Brother- no. Father!! We have to go!” Flayn tugged on his arm, tears in her eyes. “We have to get out of here.” The two of them were some of the only ones remaining inside.

“But-” Seteth started, panic in his voice before he turned to her. “Flayn.” His focus turned entirely on his daughter. “Let’s go.” He ordered before the two of them made their escape. Though he was worried, he knew Byleth was strong. She was more than capable of handling herself on a battlefield, she had proven that many times by now. Still, he felt uneasy not having her in eye sight. Rhea on the other hand, well he could only hope that she had made her escape too. For now Flayn would have to be his priority. 

\-----

About a week passed before he returned to the monastery. By that point the Empire had raided the grounds, causing some pretty major destruction, especially to the cathedral building. But he had given enough time and they had left it an empty desecrated husk. Though it wouldn’t really make sense for her to be there, he had to look. There had been no word from any of the Golden Deer students on her whereabouts, but Seteth couldn’t give up hope yet. She did have the goddess Sothis in her after all. 

Seteth wandered the church buildings, the school grounds, and the dormitories. He searched some of Byleth’s favorite places. The greenhouse, even though her coat wasn’t hanging by the door. The fishing pond, Jeralt’s office, his own office, her dorm. His room. Nothing. His mind raced through the memories in each of those places. It was only a year that they had known each other, but it felt like so much more.

Though he didn’t want to, Seteth turned to the battlefield surrounding the monastery. There wasn’t much left, just the wake of destruction. Still he had to be sure. He walked through the streets of the outer town. Houses and businesses were completely caved in and destroyed. People’s entire lives- if not being killed entirely they would have nothing now. He walked through the fields, where grass and dirt was upturned in huge splotches, marking areas where demonic beasts had fought. He saw an area near the wall where it seemed some of the ground had even collapsed into the ravine below. Though the Empire troops took much of the items of value from the monastery, he still saw a few scattered remnants of the battle. A stray shield, some dropped weapons. Many of which were damaged and rusted. The battle had been going on so long by the end of it, people were using anything they could to fight them off. Still it was not enough.

Finally, Seteth tried the main church building, trying to dig through the rubble for something, anything. With the soul of the goddess being held in her, maybe Byleth would feel some calling to this place. He walked by statues of Sothis, Seiros, Indech, Macuil, Cethleann, Cichol. It seemed eerily haunting like this. While he was a devout man, this place felt entirely empty of the goddess right now. There was nothing. Finally, Seteth stopped trying to hold onto his stoic appearance and let himself feel. He fell to his knees, his hands still trying to dig through the dust and rubble, knowing full well that nothing would be waiting for him. 

Her face- it was just finally starting to show how she really felt. He could see that smile in his mind. The smile that while small, fully lit up her eyes. He felt her in his arms, cradling her only a few nights ago. He thought of the way she was just starting to open up, how she felt comfortable speaking her mind to him. He thought about the way she had kissed him before the battle. He never expected her to be the one to act on her feelings like that. And he thought about the promise he made. He said he would be by her side, no matter how this battle went.

His body shook as he sat there on his knees, barely able to see what was in front of him past his own tears. His sobs were weak, yet they echoed through the empty building, the only sound on the entire monastery grounds. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. He couldn’t allow himself to love again, just to immediately lose her. He couldn’t break his promise to her.

\-----

Seteth had to be strong. He had to for Flayn. He, at least, had her. He pulled his feelings in, steeling his heart to the pain that felt overwhelmingly strong. He couldn’t stay here any longer. Seteth took one last look into the church, rubble fallen from the ceiling, the sun shining through the dust in the air, before he turned and left. Whatever was going to happen now, he had to protect his daughter, he had to find Rhea, and he had to find Byleth. He couldn’t- wouldn’t give up hope on finding her.


	17. Gnawing my way Back Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> goob morning byleth it's been 5 years!!!

For a while all Byleth saw was complete darkness. Sothis didn’t show up to save her like she did last time she felt like this. She did hear a faint voice in the darkness though. The voice of a girl.

\-----

Her eyes shot open and she gasped for breath. Water started to fill her lungs when she felt a hand pull her up out of the darkness. She sat on the riverbank coughing and spitting up water, entirely soaked through all of her armor and layers and her coat heavy from the extra weight.

“You okay?” An unfamiliar voice asked.

“Who are you?” Byleth croaked out, her hand resting against her throat as she coughed some more water out.

“I’m just a villager from the nearby town. What are you doing in a place like this?” The man asked, genuine concern for the strange looking woman.

“Garreg Mach.” She spoke weakly, feeling she may have finally gotten all of the coughing fit out of her.

“What? That place was abandoned. The church of Seiros isn’t there anymore.” He asked, confused on how someone couldn’t know that. “Though there have been some folks living up there in the five years since… you know.”

“Five years?!” Byleth tried to shout, but her voice was so weak it came out more like a normal level of speaking.

“Hey are you okay? Did you hit your head or something in that river? You might need t’see a doctor.” The man tried to offer before he explained further. “It’s supposed to be the millennium festival tomorrow, but who has time to think about that?” He tried to help her up, wanting to take her somewhere to get help.

“My students.” Byleth shook herself out of the man’s arms, wobbly but she was able to hold herself up. “I need to go there.”

The man tried to call more warnings after her- it wasn’t safe up there, don’t say he didn’t warn her. She may have been disoriented and water logged, but she had one thing on her mind. She knew she had to be up there.

\----

The monastery was a wreck. Byleth tried to think on the last five years, how could she forget them. Was she in that river the whole time? It felt like only a few minutes had passed since the battle. Since that mage had shot her and she fell. Making her way through the academy grounds now she could see the destruction of that battle, even years later.

Despite the destruction, it seemed not all life had left this place. Some of the stray cats and dogs still wandered the area. Walking by the old dorms she saw one of the doors broken, only to find that one of the cats had taken shelter inside of the room with it’s kittens. She smiled a little despite her own panic at the situation. At least there was some kind of hope here. Seeing all of the destruction though- well she would have been panicking more if she hadn’t felt so one track minded.

Walking through to the top of the monastery in the sun, Byleth started to dry off. Her hair felt absolutely nasty, like it had years of water and grime through it. But despite the fact that she desperately needed to bathe, just drying off made her feel a hundred times better. Aside from her voice, her body felt weaker too. She fought through the soreness and pain to climb the stairs all the way to the top of the goddess tower. She had made some promises there five years ago and she wasn’t intending on breaking them.

She finally stepped to the top room of the tower, feeling a pang in her chest when she saw a man standing there. It really had been five years. This adult man- this was Claude. He turned toward the entrance as he heard her enter, shock clear on his face before his gave her that charming smile he always did.

“You overslept, Teach!” he spoke. It was just like Claude to joke around on their first interaction, but Byleth was so happy to see he was okay. Not knowing how the battle ended, her mind flashed to everyone, hoping they all made it out okay. Five YEARS had passed. And despite that, despite not seeing her at all in that time Claude was still here. “What’s with that surprised look, my friend? You didn’t really think I’d given up on you coming back, did you?”

\----

Claude spent some time explaining the state of things to Byleth, but it was in the Cathedral that she reunited with everyone together. Seeing all of her students and how time had changed them was when it all really started to hit her. She was touched to see that all of them still showed up, despite the years, the destruction, the warring, and not knowing what happened to her all this time. Byleth raised her hands to her face, covering her mouth as the tears started to come. So much had happened and she didn’t understand, but she was happy.

“Can it be?! You were alive all this time?!” Byleth gasped through her tears, seeing Seteth and Flayn approach the group too.

“Professor! It is so good to see you again! My brother and I were worried about you!” Flayn chimed in happily.

Byleth was speechless. There was so much she wanted to say, so many emotions she was feeling all at once. But she couldn’t figure out how to do it. She stood there, surrounded by her most cherished loved ones, her new family. The people that waited five years for her and still came after all that time. She stood there, wrapping her arms around to hug herself, eyebrows curling in, tears streaming, and smiling.

“Why are you all here?” was all Byleth could manage to get out.

Seteth, still in shock and feeling like he was seeing a ghost, spoke up first. “It has been five years since you and Lady Rhea disappeared. We have devoted all of our energies to finding her” -and you, he wanted to say, even if that was more of his own energy than that of the church and knights of Seiros. “However, without being able to step foot into Empire territory we are at a standstill. We had hoped that perhaps the archbishop would return here on this day. The day of the long awaited millenium festival.”

“Unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be the case.” Claude spoke up from behind her. “Even if she were able to return here, I doubt she would feel safe enough to do so.”

While the others spoke of ways to return the monastery to it’s former glory, Byleth could only stare at Seteth, thinking about all of the things she wanted to say to him.


	18. Keep Cruel Fate at Bay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> /whips

The students and other faculty members split up, each finding jobs to do. Flayn gave Seteth a nod before she walked away as if to say _“I’ll leave you two alone_”, and finally he and Byleth were left to themselves in the cathedral together.

Seteth’s mind flashed back to the last time he was alone here, sobbing, praying to the goddess for her to return. And now here he was again, his prayers answered. Despite his own overwhelming emotions he still felt frozen, seeing her again.

“Seteth I-” Byleth started to speak, and hearing her address him again was enough to pull him out of it. He cut her off, finally after five years, kissing her again.

Finally after a battle, their overwhelming loss, his mourning, and five years, they were able to kiss without any worry. They both had so much to say to each other, but this would come first. The hunger both of them felt in that kiss was something unlike anything Byleth had felt before. Byleth let her weight fall in his arms, her weariness and the whole situation further catching up with her. Both of them sunk down until they were eventually both sitting on the ground, holding on as if they were afraid to lose each other again. Finally they pulled away from the kiss to each catch their breath.

Their foreheads touched, Byleth feeling Seteth’s circlet press against her head. His thumbs caressed her cheeks as she looked up at him, the remains of her tears still on her face.

“Byleth… I’m sorry.” Seteth’s voice cracked as he apologized. “I thought I would never see you again. I promised you I would-” He started, feeling that no words would make up for the past five years of searching and failing.

This time she cut him off with a kiss. “Seteth.” Byleth laughed as she said his name. “You have nothing to apologize for. You’re here now, I’m here. That’s what matters.” Byleth squeezed her arms around him, as if to give a physical reminder that this was real.

“Where did you go? I was afraid that you… I couldn’t accept the heartache of losing someone else.” The man spoke, finally starting to open up about how hard it had been for him without her. “I dug through these ruins looking for you.”

“I woke up in the water. I don’t know what happened… It feels like only a short time has passed since that battle. I don’t really understand it but… I’m here now.”

“Yes. You are.” Seteth smiled, nudging his face against Byleth’s. “And I promise, I won’t let you go again.”

“And I won’t let you go either.” She replied, giving him another squeeze. Though they didn’t use the words, they both knew that what they were really saying was _‘I love you_’.


	19. Stolen Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> soft!!!! I love!!! Soft moments!!!!! Before everything gets stressful because war

Byleth still felt absolutely nasty from the amount of time she spent in that river water. Her hair was thick with muck and while her clothes had dried, they felt incredibly uncomfortable. All of that combination meant Byleth was overjoyed when she heard that the sauna and bath house on the monastery grounds were all still in tact. Still, she felt some hesitation. She had been in water so long after all, and the first thing she could remember upon waking up was the feeling of drowning. While she was pretty sure she wasn’t going to drown in the bath, she knew more than anyone how irrational anxiety could make you be.

She had considered asking Seteth to join her in the bath but… Something kept her from doing that, no matter how badly she wanted to ask. Despite all of that, the bath did feel nice. The water was warm and steamy, feeling especially good on her sore tired muscles. It was a stark contrast to the freezing cold water she had felt earlier, easing her mind into relaxation.

She floated there in the bath water for a while, almost willing her body to relax itself before she got on with actually cleansing herself. Finally removing about five years of grime and nastiness from herself had to be one of the best feelings Byleth could remember feeling for a LONG time. There wasn’t any fancy soaps or anything left, but even the most basic soap felt like a luxury right now. Though she felt hesitation at first, she now took her time relaxing and washing herself, and quite honestly kind of feeling like a new person by the end of it. And changing into a clean soft nightgown after so much time in her armor felt as glorious on her skin as the bath did.

When she finally was leaving the bath house, the night was starting to creep up into the sky. She walked past the dormitories, taking a brief moment to inspect her own old room. Not much in there, not that she had much there to begin with. Still, it was a reminder of time long past now. She sat there for a while, flipping through old books, papers, class lecture outlines and notes. She supposed she wouldn’t be teaching any of those classes again now, but she hoped that her students would have still learned those lessons somehow. She gathered a couple of items that she could still find scattered about the room, her own journal for one, and some of her clothes. She had taken up writing like her father when she had found his journal. There wasn’t too much in it yet, for her it hadn’t been much longer than a month since his death after all. She sat at the desk, lighting a candle and decided to write another entry into the journal.

“_Five years have passed since my last entry._” she wrote plainly. The rest of the entry was mainly going over events that had happened around the world since her disappearance. It was a good way to review all of the information she had taken in that day. Finally as she got to the end of the events she touched on a more personal note again. “_I’m happy to be back. I wasn’t done with them yet, there was so much more I wanted to teach them. And I wasn’t done with him yet. I was finally_” she pulled her quill from the page, holding it to her mouth as she thought of what she wanted to write. “_Finally letting myself feel. I need to see this war through, for Fodlan’s sake and for my own._” She ended the entry. She waited a moment for the ink on the page to dry before closing the journal, gathering her things, and making her way to Seteth’s room.

\------

Seteth was already laying in his bed reading over one of his many books when he heard a light tapping on his door. He marked his page, tossing the book aside before he rushed up to the door. He took a breath, straightening his clothes as to not look too eager before he opened it.

“Professor.” He greeted. He tried his best to sound as he normally would, but there was no hiding the smile and the relief that was still in his tone every time he saw her again. That same relief would never fully go away, even after years with her later in their lives.

“Seteth.” she replied softly, her own smile for him alone making his heart flutter. He vowed to himself not to take this for granted again.

“Oh-” He stepped aside, letting her into the room. He hadn’t realized that the two of them had just been standing there in the doorway staring at each other until she shifted, looking down at her feet in embarrassment. “Come in.” He offered her, and she happily obliged. She stood there for a moment, thinking back to the last time she was here. Luckily this time she remembered to bring some other clothes with her.

“Byleth,” Seteth started as he turned, closing the door behind her. He had so much that he wanted to ask, even if he knew that she didn’t have all of the answers.

“Hm?” She met eyes with him, an adorably clueless expression on her face, and he settled on finally saying something.

“Your hair is a mess.” He almost blurted out. She carefully reached up, touching her still slightly damp hair. She tilted her head to the side as if to question what he meant. “Come.” he placed his hand lightly against her back, guiding her to sit down on his bed. He took the belongings from her arms, placing them on his desk before he picked up a soft hair brush and sat behind her. He often brushed Flayn’s hair for her like this when she was a small girl, but doing it now with the professor somehow felt so intimate. She sat there in silence, only moving to occasionally glance back at him, while he sat behind her and carefully brushed the tangles from her choppy pale green hair.

“You would never know.” Byleth broke the silence as she finally spoke up.

“Know what?” Seteth questioned as he moved her now soft hair over one shoulder, replacing it on her open shoulder with his face resting against her and wrapping his arms around her torso.

“The war. I mean, aside from the physical destruction of this place… And everyone being older.” She mused, leaning her face against his and closing her eyes. “It’s just so peaceful.” She relaxed against him, letting out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding in. “I wish it would stay like this.”

“We all do.” Seteth replied, reflecting on the struggles that no doubt all of her students and the other faculty had faced leading up to this. “Soon every day can be like this. After the war. I have faith that you will lead all of Fodlan to victory. Then can we rest peacefully like this.”

“Yes.” The woman wrapped in his arms agreed. “But for now, we can at least have this moment.”


	20. The Symbol to Fight Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lets get this bread!!

“Luckily good ole’ Teach is back to us.” Claude winked as he went over the plan. “If the professor Rhea entrusted with the Sword of the Creator fights by our side… Well now. That’s a just cause anyone could get behind.” Byleth felt her face go pink as the attention of the conversation turned toward her. Though she didn’t like being the center of attention like this much at all, he did make a good point. Byleth fully understood the role that had been passed to her through Rhea, and how that would make her a symbol of hope for the people, even if she didn’t particularly ask for it. “What’s more, here we are, working along the legendary knights of Seiros. It smacks of divine providence, doesn’t it? Can you feel it?” Claude asked the group, smiling at his former professor.

Seteth must have noticed her shift under all the attention. “I have heard what you have to say Claude. And you, professor? Where do you stand?” He asked her opinion. After so much time spent with one another, he had begun to pick up on her subtle cues that most others didn’t notice. Byleth thought on the fact that there had only ever been one other person to pick up on her slight cues like that. However, unlike her father, who would notice those cues and cover for her, Seteth almost forced her to confront them. Make her face the fears and be stronger rather than hide behind someone.

“I will fight the Empire, and I will find Rhea.” She stated confidently. Though the role may have been pushed on her in a way, she did not feel forced into it. As much as she didn’t like being the center of attention, she felt a duty to herself, to her friends, and to all of Fodlan that she wanted to see through.

“We are at a relative standstill, but with the help of the Alliance…” Seteth looked toward Claude and Hilda, giving them a nod before turning his attention back to Byleth. Her thoughts began to drift for a moment, thinking on the way Seteth could so switch his mindstate to such a strict and serious mode when the time needed. “The Archbishop said that if anything were to happen to her, that we should entrust the affairs of the church to you.” Byleth was pulled out of her thoughts by what he said, a brief glimpse of surprise showing on her face that likely only he saw. Her? In charge of the church? “If you intend to fight alongside the alliance then I will follow you as well.” Seteth spoke again, reaffirming their promise.

“I can’t think of anything more reassuring than having both teach and the knights of Seiros on our side.” Claude smiled, looking between Seteth and Byleth. “Together we’ll stop the emperor and her reckless ambitions.” He gestured with his fist, inspiring hope in the group. As stressful and scary as this war seemed, they knew they could do this.

\---

“We’re attempting our own miracle, so it seems like a suitable symbol for us” Claude’s words echoed through Byleth’s head as she paced the courtyards of the monastery. She really would be the symbol that these forces would gather behind, figuratively and literally. Her mind mulled the thought as she wandered. This place really was starting to come back together though, wasn’t it? Slowly with the help of the knights they had begun rebuilding. Though she may not have liked to admit it, this all really did give her hope too. With the help of Claude and her other students along with the Alliance and the Knights, well it didn’t seem too far fetched that they could actually win this war.

\---

“Professor! Claude! We’re under attack!” Leonie rushed in in the middle of her conversation with Claude.

“What’s going on Leonie?”

“It’s a small group, but some Imperial troops are headed this way.” Already? It seems the war would be coming to them. Without time to prepare, Claude turned to his former teacher for guidance.

“Let’s take them down.” Byleth nodded confidently at the two of them. It was a small group, sure, but a strong first victory could really help them gather more friends and troops to help in the war effort.

\---

“If they reach the interior the enemy will take the monastery! Drive them back immediately!” Claude ordered to their troops. Byleth not far off, charged in to the two pegasus knights before her with Seteth and Flayn close by. Seteth above her on his wyvern, and Flayn dancing behind her so she could get in another attack. On the other side of the battlefield was Claude on his own wyvern and Hilda close under him fighting with her axe. Lysithea shot her spells and Lorenz fought with his spear. The Golden Deer were in perfect harmony as they quickly made do of the Empire troops, clearing the path and protecting the monastery under their banner.

If this was any sign of the war to come, Byleth was sure that there would be nothing for her to worry about.


	21. The First Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was the first time Byleth saw a former student across the battlefield, and it would never get easier

Life around the monastery was certainly more hectic than she remembered, of course there was a war going on. By this point, Byleth felt she had been through enough. Though her and Seteth never particularly tried to hide what was going on between them, Byleth now had no care whatsoever who saw her doing things with him. And to her surprise, nobody seemed to have too huge of a reaction. A few of her students had an initial “_I told you so_” moment the first time they saw Byleth plant a kiss on Seteth before a war meeting, but for the most part most of them knew what was going on between the two of them for a long time now. Mostly things just seemed to fall in place as if they were meant to be this way the whole time. Byleth and Claude worked on strategies together, he helped her navigate the Alliance. Meanwhile Seteth helped her manage the politics of the church and the knights, while also helping keep her sane as the war developed.

Judith would be the first person that they would recruit. Byleth had met her before and she seemed a very capable soldier and commander. Her help would be invaluable in their fight to come against the Empire, so it was crucial that this all went over smoothly.

\----

“Teach!” Claude called out. There was an unexpected hitch in the plan- enemy troops had appeared. While Byleth had been doing her best to avoid the heat from the lava surrounding them, she tripped up.

Luckily Seteth was always close by on his wyvern, swooping down, he helped Byleth catch her balance before anything terrible could happen. “Don’t scare me like that.” He spoke, almost scolding her. Their troops were sweating, dehydrated from the heat, and caught off guard. Byleth nodded to him, assessing the battle before giving her next order.

“Let’s finish them off and get out of here!” Byleth shouted, commanding their troops. They couldn’t take much more of this, not for the enemy troops but for these troublesome fighting conditions.

Ashe.

It wouldn’t be the last time Byleth would cross paths with former students in battle, but it would never get easier. Ashe was always a good kid, Byleth thought. If things had been different…

But they weren’t.

“Forgive me… But as Lonato’s son, I have a duty!” Ashe shouted as he charged into the fight against their troops. Byleth wanted to call out, to say somehow that things didn’t need to be this way. But there would be no arguing with him, there would be no seeing reason in a time like this. She had to look away when he was taken down.

Though she previously had no worries going into this war, and she still was not worried for their victory, she knew now that it wouldn’t be easy.

\----

When they finally returned to the monastery Byleth knew that the others could see the tiredness in her eyes. She did her best to hold herself together, if only for them, until she got somewhere private. In Seteth’s room, which since recent events had also become her room as well, she finally let herself break down. She barely made it into the room before she sat herself on the ground, hiding her face in her hands.

“I c-can’t do this” her words came out muffled between her soft cries. “I don’t think… I can’t be strong enough for them. I-I need to be this leader for them to look up to and…” she hiccuped on a sob.

“Byleth,” Seteth sat beside her, his eyebrows curling in concern as he tried to drag her attention out of her own spiraling thoughts. “You _are_ strong enough, you always have been.” he spoke softly, lifting her face from behind her hands.

“It j-just… It isn’t fair” Byleth mumbled out, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. “Those kids- they- they shouldn’t have to fight like that. T-to kill… to lose their friends…” Byleth had fought all her life, as far back as she could remember. But that was as a mercenary. A hired sword, to deal with other people’s problems. She had never really had a battle- no, a war, where the stakes mattered so much. Where she really and truly cared about the cause behind the fight. And a fight where she pitied the enemies like this.

“No. It isn’t fair.” Seteth spoke softly, letting Byleth speak her mind. She didn’t often say this much, so when she did get speaking openly he always did his best to not interrupt her and hear out everything she had to say.

“Seteth.” She spoke as if she had just realized something. “You…” She started, unsure of how to say what she was trying to ask. “You’ve lost people. Your wife.” the professor stated, still not really a question. Seteth felt a pang in his chest as he thought back, remembering the pain of his wife’s death.

“Yes.” His voice lowered. “I pray that you will never have to feel the pain of a loss such as that.”

“Will you tell me? About how you dealt with it? About… her?” Byleth asked him nervously. Though she knew of his wife, Flayn’s mother, she didn’t really know much about her. She knew that she would fish with Seteth and Flayn. She knew that she was buried near a monument to the Saint Cichol. She seemed like she must have been a very kind woman, and if Flayn was any indication, probably very beautiful too. But besides those few things, Byleth had never pried Seteth for more information. It seemed rude somehow, but now she felt rude for never asking more until this point.

Seteth went over the thoughts in his head, back and forth, considering how much to tell Byleth. If he was going to tell her more about this? Well he’d have to tell her the whole truth. “Soon.” He finally responded. “For now, get some rest. It… will be a much longer talk later.” Byleth nodded, accepting the answer for now.


	22. You're Like Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seteth opens up, but Byleth is left with more questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO IM BACK FROM THE DEAD FINALLY??? I had 0 motivation for writing for the longest time because a LOT has been going on in my life over the last few months, but I've been working on this so I can hopefully get some more parts up!! I LOVE U GUYS thank u for your patience and for being so sweet about this fic, I'm happy you guys like it!!

The next morning Seteth was awoken by the light shining in through his window. Glowing through the curtains, it perfectly bathed Byleth in a warm glow. Seteth thought in that moment that she looked absolutely divine. He had made up his mind to tell her everything, at least everything that he could at that point. Not wanting to wake her just yet, he brushed her hair out of her face and placed a gentle kiss across her forehead. He would spend the morning getting ready to tell her, getting a tray of tea ready for the two of them to have while they spoke. Finally the time came, and Seteth felt secure in his decision, but still nervous all the same. 

“Byleth, my dear.” Seteth started. Though the two of them had been sharing a bed for weeks now, unafraid to kiss and cuddle as much as their hearts desire, Byleth still felt the twinge of blush in her cheeks grow at the pet name. Even after all this time, this was the first time Seteth had called her any sort of sign of affection like that. “Before I tell you about myself, I must first speak about you. I promised to help you find the truth of who you are. But I'm afraid it's not that simple. There are some details I have kept concealed.”

Byleth quietly gasped, squinting her eyes a bit at Seteth as she tried to figure him out. “What do you mean?” She asked, concern in her voice.

Seteth sighed, thinking on how to start the explanation. “Five years ago, before she vanished, I asked Rhea some pointed questions. I learned that she knows everything about you.” He took his lover’s hand across from him. “No… that is understating it... Rhea is responsible for your existence.” Seteth looked up, his eyes meeting hers, big, round, green, glowing at him and trying to understand what he said. 

“What do you mean?” Byleth asked the question again, rather plainly. 

“I could explain to you here and now what fragments of knowledge I was able to pry from Rhea.” Seteth pulled his hand away, cupping his chin in his hand as he thought. “I fear, however, that a partial understanding might do you more harm than good.” He shook his head, almost backtracking in thought. “Once we save Rhea, you will know the whole of it. For now, that is all I can tell you.” Seteth sighed, wishing he had more answers for Byleth. 

He watched her closely, her eyes flicking from his, to the tea beside them, to her feet below her, she was unsure. He knew that expression, the fear and uncertainty she held inside. He spoke up again, hoping to calm her some. 

“If you are still uncertain about your feelings... Then permit me to add one more thing.” He leaned forward, lightly placing his hand on the side of Byleth’s cheek and looking into her eyes. “You, Rhea, Flayn... and I... We are like a family. Because of those deep ties, you can be certain that I will never abandon or betray you.” He thumbed her cheek, his words full of love for her. Seteth thought for a moment on how best to explain what he meant, but he decided to show her without words. Carefully he took her hands into his own, lifting them to either side of his own face, letting her fingers slide over his pointed ears. It was a miracle that she hadn’t noticed them yet, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to hide that from her for much longer. Plus, he wanted to be open and tell her everything. That was part of it. He closed his eyes, only hearing her small gasp as she realized what it was that she was feeling. When Seteth opened his eyes he couldn’t help but let a smile peek through as he continued. “On the contrary, I greatly wish to see what your future holds. It is as I promised you. I am, and will always be, yours.”

“The truth is, you have become indispensable to me. And that is true quite independently of whether I see eye to eye with Rhea, or even whether we are friends.” He continued, pouring his heart out to her. “After this war is over, where I go and what I do will depend wholly on you.”

Byleth once again was left speechless, taking in what Seteth had explained. Though she didn’t know everything, much less understand any of it, she knew one thing for certain. What he was saying was true. They would always have each other. And he, even without knowing it all himself, would be there to help her figure this all out. 

“So…” Byleth started, one hand caressing Seteth’s ear, the other feeling her own pointed ear. She had been that way ever since the fusion with Sothis. “We’re the same?” She asked, and Seteth nodded in response. In truth, she still hadn’t felt she had the time to fully process all of her changes since their merge into one. So much kept happening, there wasn’t any time to rest and look back, just to get ready for the next thing. It seemed all she had was more questions now. 

“In a way.” He responded to her question. “My wife,” Seteth started, bringing the conversation back to Byleth’s initial question from the night before. “Her death was a very long time ago. Lifetimes ago, now.” Seteth tilted his head, feeling a swirl of different emotions. 

“ _ Lifetimes _ ? Seteth, what do you mean?” Byleth asked, not wanting to admit that the conversation was almost scaring her a bit. Normally people would say something was  _ a lifetime _ ago, not many lifetimes.

“It may be a lot to take in right now, but you will have more answers when we find Rhea. She knows your own situation more… I could only guess.” he admitted. “Whatever the true answers are, I will be there to help you find them.” Seteth caressed her, hoping to calm her some. “And… I think I would like to tell you the rest of my own story with Flayn, if you can wait for the rest?” Byleth nodded in response. She hoped it wouldn’t be long until they spoke next on this. Until then she would be left with more questions than she started with. 


	23. A Song from Long Ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting with Flayn goes very well

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I've been working on writing updates for this fic, I also decided to go back and reread through everything I had written so far! I added a few small little bits here and there and fixed some spelling/grammar issues that had snuck through on previous chapters! I'm happy to be adding to this all again!

They were walking through the hallways of Garreg Mach one afternoon, around midday the sun was bright in the sky shining through the windows. “Flayn.” Seteth started plainly. “As you know your professor and I-” He stopped, not actually sure what to call this thing between Byleth and himself. He spoke stiffly, trying to keep some air of formality as he spoke even while it was unnecessary. “Well, I’d like to tell her-” The man was cut off in his explanation by his daughter’s giggle. He couldn’t help but smile at seeing her genuine happiness at his relationship with the professor. 

“Oh fa- Brother!” Flayn had to correct herself in her excitement. It wasn’t often that their secret slipped through, but in moments of honesty like this Flayn would sometimes catch herself. “I am truly happy for you both!” Flayn lifted a hand to her cheek as she smiled at Seteth. And to be sure, she was also happy that Seteth had been significantly less overbearing on her since he had started spending more time with Byleth. 

“Flayn,” Seteth spoke again, a little more exasperated this time. “After our last battle she asked me to tell her about your mother. I would like to tell her everything.” He hinted without saying out loud what that ‘everything’ actually meant. “I would like it if you would be a part of that as well.” He closed his eyes as he spoke.

“Mother?” She whispered. Flayn was the one caught off guard this time. “You don’t mean…  _ everything, _ brother?” She asked, reaffirming her suspicion. Usually Seteth was so secretive, he had never told anyone of their true identities before. “The professor must truly be special to you!” She exclaimed, taking him by the hand as they walked. “I would be happy to!”

\------

Byleth followed Seteth into the cathedral, and deeper into the back to a small room which housed four large statues- the four saints of the church of Seiros. There the two of them were to meet Flayn. The majority of the former students would be out, dealing with a minor bandit problem, those who weren’t out were working odd jobs around the monastery. This only left some of the other people at the monastery being the guards and faculty, none of which would come anywhere near this area. It was a perfect private moment for the three of them to speak.

Flayn was standing in front of the statue of Saint Cethleann as Seteth and Byleth entered the room. “You really have brought us joy restoring these statues over your time here.” Seteth smiled up at the statue Flayn had been admiring, commenting on it before they got into their talk.

“Professor!!” Flayn turned at the sound of his voice and happily chirped up, her smile warming her whole face. 

“Hello Flayn,” Byleth greeted and just barely smiled back at the girl, her excitement was contagious. 

“Brother told me about- Well, I guess there’s no need to hide it right now, is there?” Flayn spoke, jumping from one thought to the next. “Father told me about you two! And he said that he wanted to tell you everything, do you know how big a deal that is, Professor?” The short green haired girl bounced her way over to Byleth, taking ahold of both her hands. Byleth thought how it was sort of strange to hear Flayn call Seteth father rather than brother, she sometimes forgot the truth herself as the two of them were always so strict about it. She still never really knew why they hid their identities like that, but she figured by the end of this conversation she would understand. “I’ve always looked up to you and we’ve had so much fun fishing together and I couldn’t be happier! Oh, I’m just so happy for him- for you! You should have heard the way he talked about you when you were gone, he really was lost without you. Father?” She turned her attention to Seteth, leaving the floor open for him to start their story. 

Seteth had been standing just off to the side, his face almost uncharacteristically soft and relaxed watching the two girls interact. It really did mean the world to him that his two most cherished people got along so well. In truth he had been nervous the first time he talked with Flayn about this, worrying that she would see it as a betrayal of sorts to her mother. Luckily, Flayn was such a ray of sunshine about it, so excited and happy for him, yet also there to help him through the period when Byleth had been missing.

“Erm, yes.” Seteth started, his more serious demeanor returning. “Well as you know well by now, Flayn is not my sister.” He started the story stating the obvious. He looked up at the statues again, twisting his face as he tried to figure out the best way to explain. “Forgive me, I- we’ve never told anyone the full truth before.” Seteth apologized before he even really got into it. Byleth reached out, holding one of Seteth’s hands, still holding Flayn’s in her other hand. Her eyebrows curled in with concern and she nodded reassuringly, giving Seteth an unspoken sign that it would be okay. 

Seteth took a deep breath, feeling comforted as he tried it again. “In your time here at the monastery I would assume that you have come to learn about the four saints, correct?” 

“W-we’ve read about them together. You’ve taught me most of what I know about them.” Byleth replied quietly. She bit her lip, internally cursing herself for letting her stutter slip back out. She had been getting a lot better at getting that under control, but it seemed an obvious sign of her worry when it came back. 

“Right, yes.” Seteth nodded, giving her a small smile as he thought back. That very first night the two of them had spent together on the couch in his office started with her reading a text on the saints over his shoulder after all. He looked back up toward the statues again as he continued. “Saint Cichol. A compassionate yet stern figure. Known for flying, axe, and leadership skills.” He looked down, making eye contact with Flayn. “Father to Saint Cethleann,” His eyes softened as he explained the other saint. “A beautiful and kind girl, beloved by the people, skilled in healing magic.” 

“Oh, father!!” Flayn’s cheeks reddened with embarrassment. Both her and Seteth looked to Byleth now, watching the cogs turn in her head as it all began to make sense. 

“You are...?” She asked half the question, looking from them and to the statues and back again. 

“Yes.” Seteth nodded solemnly. Though he couldn’t explain how Byleth really fit into all of this, he could at least explain their places. Flayn lifted her hand to her mouth as she giggled a little, happy that someone else besides her own family knew the truth now. 

“And Mother…” Flayn’s smile was replaced by one of a long sadness when she spoke again.

“She was one of our kind too.” Seteth nodded, crossing his arms in front of him as he continued. “The four saints, along with Seiros. We were the only ones to survive the war of that time.” 


	24. A Long and Sad History Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seteth and Flayn tell Byleth about the loss of their people

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love my green family

“The war of that time?” Byleth echoed the phrase. She looked between Flayn and Seteth. Though the events took place far in the past, there was a part of it all that still seemed fresh to both of them. 

“It was a long time ago now, much longer than you could ever know.” Seteth spoke with a sort of bittersweet smile on his face. “Our kind,” He started again. “Once long ago, there were many of us. A certain race of people that were the children of the goddess.” Seteth began to explain, pacing around the small room as he spoke. 

“We existed peacefully for a time with the other inhabitants of this land.” Byleth listened, leaning her weight against the base of the Cihol statue as she listened to him speak. 

“Before the war, Mother, Father, and I used to live in Zanado.” Flayn chimed in, adding to the conversation. “We had so many flowers around our home… It was so sunny all the time. I remember getting visits from my uncles when I was little. Oh, and the flying! You should have seen Father fly!” Flayn reminisced on her childhood. Byleth could see how the memories caused a sort of pain in both of them, but they still both smiled about it. 

“That was a long time ago Flayn, I doubt my flying would be that anymore, even if I still could do it.” Seteth chuckled, shaking his head at his daughter’s compliment. Byleth wondered what he meant by that, he still flew on his wyvern all the time? 

“Flying?” She asked a one worded question, hoping it wouldn’t interrupt the flow of their story too much. 

“Ah,” Seteth nodded to her. “Our people, we weren’t like the people you have come to know of this world.” He explained further. “As you know, we all have a distinct appearance.” He said in reference to their shared traits of green hair and eyes, pointed ears, and slightly pointed teeth. “There was more to it than that though back then. We could transform in a way…” Seteth trailed off, holding his chin in his hand as he thought about the best way to explain it.

“You mean like Rhea did?” Byleth asked, almost nonchalantly. Seteth and Flayn exchanged a surprised look between each other before both looking back to Byleth. “I saw her turn into a dragon at the battle five years ago.” She added. 

“I… well, I mean… Yes.” Seteth got out, still surprised. “My sister, one of the only other surviving members of our race.” Seteth clarified her role in all of this. 

“Seteth, Flayn…” Byleth spoke up again, wanting to get straight to the point. “Exactly how long ago was all of this?” 

Seteth looked between the two girls and then back up to the large statues standing above them all. “Byleth, we are the saints.” He came out and said it directly. “Cethleann.” Seteth looked back down from the statue toward Flayn, who was happy to hear her father call her by her true name once again. She felt like she couldn’t remember the last time she heard it from him. 

Byleth’s gaze shifted to Flayn, or Cethleann, as he spoke the name. “And Cichol.” She finished, looking back to Seteth. He too seemed to be feeling strong emotions toward hearing his true name spoken to him. While the two of them would hear those names spoken around the monastery many times, it had been a long time since they had actually used them for themselves. 

“The war of our time, it was hundreds of years ago now. Almost all of our people had been wiped out… Friends, family, our entire way of life. We lost so much.” Seteth explained generally, leaving out too specific of details. “And my wife among them.” He finished, trying to swallow to keep himself calm. He wasn’t sure if it was because it was just his first time saying all of this, because he was telling the truth to Byleth, or the resurgence of emotions, but he felt a knot in his throat. 

Flayn meanwhile seemed to shift a little uncomfortably, no doubt remembering things she wished she had never experienced. Byleth felt such pain for the girl, who was so sweet and kind all of the time who she knew now had been through something so horrific. Seteth noticed it too, and he reached for his daughter, pulling her into his arms for an embrace. “I know…” he cooed to Flayn, petting the back of her hair as he held her. 

Byleth knew she would never know that pain, but still she somehow felt like she could feel it. She wasn’t sure if it was the lingering parts of Sothis still in her, or if it was from her own recent experiences losing so many people close to her in such a short period of time. Byleth stood awkwardly for a moment, letting the father and daughter have their moment. But not long after Seteth’s eyes lifted up to look at her, an invitation to join their family in a way. Byleth softly placed a hand on Flayn’s back in a gesture of comfort, feeling the girl who suddenly felt so frail beneath her touch. Flayn wasn’t crying, but Byleth could feel the way she was shaking, and could tell the fear she was feeling. After a few moments of calming silence, Flayn and Seteth released their embrace. 

“I’m not sure how exactly you fit into all of this, Byleth. I don’t know why you became like us so suddenly. I don’t know what information Rhea has about you. But I promise you, we will learn all that we can.” Seteth was the first to speak up again. Byleth nodded in appreciation to him before speaking again herself.

“Thank you both for telling me your story… Thank you for trusting me with this.” Byleth bowed slightly to both of them, closing her eyes as she did so. They were jumped open though as she was suddenly embraced now, Flayn wrapping her arms around her and squeezing. Byleth blinked down at the small girl holding onto her. 

“Thank you for coming back, Professor.” Flayn smiled to her. That sentence had much more weight, now that Byleth knew the amount of loss that Flayn had been through before. 

It was Byleth’s turn to give Flayn a little pat on the head as she spoke up again. “Would you like me to make that baked fish you like for dinner tonight?” It was all that needed to be said to lift Flayn’s spirits, and the bubbly happy girl was back. 

“Oh, yes please, Professor!!” Flayn bounced, holding hands with Byleth and Seteth, and pulling them along toward the dining hall..


	25. While the World Falls Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All I think about at any given moment of any day is Seteth

The group of them shared a meal together, something that was not an uncommon sight in the dining hall. Three green haired individuals smiling over three plates of fish. Though things seemed to be normal between the group of them, Byleth still had a lot on her mind after learning more about their past. 

\-----

“You’re quieter than usual.” Seteth remarked. He and Byleth had just finished walking Flayn to her room and were walking under the moonlight back to their own resting place. 

“Hm...? Am I?” Byleth responded to him softly. She hadn’t realized it herself, but being so lost in thought she hadn’t actually talked to Seteth and Flayn much over their meal together. “I just… I have so many questions.” She offered the explanation to him. Seteth took her hand into his, entwining their fingers and giving a reassuring squeeze as he listened to her. “What exactly is it that connects us? What does all of this mean? And what does it have to do with everything going on now?” 

“I don’t truly know.” While trying to comfort her Seteth still let out a heavy sigh himself, feeling rather defeated that he knew he would have no real answers for her. They were starting to get closer to their room, but he decided to stay out in the cool night air a little longer, guiding Byleth into the gardens as he spoke. “What I  _ can _ say is that Rhea has something to do with it. What exactly she did to you I am not sure. Though I suppose the goddess, Sothis must have something to do with it all as well.”

The couple continued to stroll in the gardens in silence for a few minutes, Byleth occasionally chewing on her lip as she no doubt ran so many thoughts through her head. Eventually the situation must have gotten to her as she decided to stop to just lay down in the grass, staring up at the stars above. 

“Byleth?” Seteth questioned, leaning over her and blocking her view of the sky above. Byleth simply patted the ground next to her, a gesture for him to join her. He shrugged, deciding to oblige. He sat down next to her, looking up at the stars himself for a moment before turning back to the woman next to him. Though she was frustrated and lost in her own mind for good reason, he couldn’t help but admire how beautiful she was in that moment. Seteth placed one of his hands on the ground beside her. Leaning over her, he used his other hand to pick a small flower and slide it over her ear with her pale green hair that seemed to glow in the moonlight. The simple gesture brought a smile to Byleth’s face, and she reached up to caress his cheek. 

While the world didn’t make sense anymore, at least their love for eachother did.

\-----

"Seteth... The goddess is gone." Byleth finally broke the silence.

"Yes, she has been for quite some time." Seteth responded rather nonchalantly.

"No you don't understand." Byleth sat up, facing him on a more even level. "Before, she was inside me. I could see her. I could hear her. I could feel her. When this happened-" Byleth gently touched the end of her hair. "She left."

Seteth stared, unable to hide the shock in his face. On one hand, his mother- she returned? On the other- she was gone again. But if this meant what he thought it did...

Byleth's eyes sparkled reflecting the starlight. "I didn't understand it. Hell, _she_ didn't understand it. Neither of us really knew what she was until it was too late." Byleth explained more. "And she was my friend." She gave a bittersweet expression. 

Next it was Seteth's turn to think things over, just for a moment, before he spoke up. "Ah... Rhea once told me something." He started awkwardly. "She said that you were a vessel. I didn't understand what that meant, but that was one of the many reasons I have been searching for her." 

"....Oh..." Was all Byleth could say. "Well I guess I'm not anymore?" She asked, knowing the answer wouldn't be there for her. "When I was trapped in that darkness, the girl in my dreams relinquished her power to me. When I came back I looked like this."

"Byleth, my dear." Seteth wrapped his arms around the woman, pulling her in to his chest. "We'll find the answers you seek. I _promise_. And I will be by your side every step of the way."


	26. A Calm before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some stuff around the monastery setting up the next thing

“Be honest, you’re having a hard time adjusting to your new role, aren’t you?” Claude said to his former professor. 

Byleth shrugged. “That’s the understatement of the century…” She said flatly. 

“You weren’t even a follower of Seiros to begin with, and somehow you’ve ended up as a representative of the church.”

Byleth sighed. She didn’t really know what to believe now. For sure  _ parts _ of the church were real. Seteth and the other saints to be sure, and Byleth considered herself to be good friends with the goddess herself. But what exactly was true out of the stories the church told? That part she didn’t know yet. 

“Besides, as wielder of the Sword of the Creator, it’s undeniable that you’re special. I think you should be more confident in yourself and use your position to the fullest.” Claude praised her. Byleth was proud of how far her little deer had come, and he had been instrumental in their success so far. Byleth was pulled out of the thought as the meeting between her, Claude, Judith, and Lorenz was interrupted. Troops were incoming, seemingly from all sides.

“We should proceed with caution. Soon we’ll be entering Empire territory ourselves. If our enemies are going to intercept us with an attack it will probably be at Gronder Field… How fitting that it was the site of the Battle of the Eagle and Lion five years ago.” Claude warned the group, preparing for what was to come. Byleth swallowed, knowing that this meant she would once again be facing off with former friends and allies.

  
  


\------

Byleth spent the day making her rounds about the monastery, preparing everyone and everything that she could. Finally she ended up in the audience chamber, where she found Seteth pacing. He didn’t give her so much as a glance, just sensing her presence as she entered. 

“Each time we press forward, our search for Rhea broadens to a wider area. I certainly hope that we will find at least some clue, but I do suspect I already know where she is.” Seteth spoke as he paced around the chamber. 

“You do?” Byleth finally spoke up, hoping he may have found some new lead. 

“If I am right, and she is in the Imperial capital, then we cannot save her until we topple the Empire.” 

“Don’t worry, Seteth.” Byleth said, knowing how close Seteth and Rhea were despite their differences. “We’ll be there soon.” 

“We are expecting a battle at Gronder Field.” Byleth started explaining further. “It was so long ago that we were all last there… But we’re hoping to make a stand. Hopefully that will bring us much closer to the peace we’re fighting for.” Seteth watched as she spoke, trying to inspire confidence- though he knew she was speaking to herself as much as she was to him. 


	27. Blood of the Eagle and Lion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hi this took forever because I have a hard time writing battles/fighting but we are in for some ANGST once again
> 
> also I spilled a little bit of DimiClaude dust on this chapter oops

“Your guidance is going to be crucial, Teach. Now more than ever. Do whatever it takes to lead us to victory.” The words spoken by Claude rang in Byleth’s ears. She had been thinking them over as their troops made their way to Grondor Field for the battle. She knew that the Empire troops would be there, potentially Edelgard herself. She also knew that some troops fighting under the flag of the Holy Kingdom of Faergus had been spotted nearby. Who they may be fighting under she wasn’t sure yet. But regardless, it was certain to be an event that would change the course of this war. 

Byleth’s heart pounded as fire rained from above, shot by Empire mages toward the two other armies on the field. Their own, and the other which she could now see was being led by Dimitri himself, somehow still alive after everything that had happened. Dimitri spoke in a voice much darker than Byleth had ever heard from him before. Her heart ached for the horrors she was sure that boy had experienced in her time away. Maybe- just maybe there was a chance that he could be persuaded to join forces with them. They most likely had the same goal in mind after all. It didn’t have to be too late for him, not like the other’s at least. 

“As big class reunions go, this one’s gotta be the worst in history.” Claude spoke up, looking at the burning foliage around them. Byleth didn’t know how he could joke in a time like this. Though she supposed it was probably just his way with coping. 

“Years ago we fought here as classmates… but not today.” Edelgard’s soft voice rang through. Even with her, Byleth still had a bit of hesitation. Even though this  _ all _ started from her. Maybe it didn’t have to end like this? Maybe she could see how she was wrong? But Byleth’s doubts were silenced as Edelgard and her troops drew their weapons.

“Kill every last one of them-” Dimitri growled, sending his own troops into the field, no mercy left in his heart. 

Byleth swallowed her pain, readying herself for the battle. She glanced over to Seteth, who nodded reassuringly at her, and then to Claude. Claude who looked so hurt to find that his former friend and classmate Dimitri was alive, but clearly not going to join them. She could tell Claude felt the same hesitation that she did. Neither of them wanted it to be like this, but there was no changing  _ those _ wheels of fate. The Golden Deer readied themselves, taking in one last breath of preparation before moving forward to partake in the battle themselves.

\------

The battle was tough, but somehow still looking hopeful for the little deer. They started to the right side of the battlefield, focusing against the Empire troops. It was all going well until they were closed in on by the Kingdom troops beside them, who were attacking without regard. For them, it didn’t seem to matter that they all had the same goal in mind. All they were after was destruction, even at the cost of their own lives. 

Byleth pushed an enemy away, turning quickly to get a good idea of how the battlefield was looking for them. She caught Claude and Dimitri in an altercation, and swiftly finished off another Empire troop to rush by their side. 

“It doesn’t matter what I’m saying, does it? You aren’t even listening. But I’m not gonna budge.” She heard Claude yell from atop his wyvern. And she knew he was right, Dimitri would not listen to any of them. Maybe if they could take care of Edelgard here and now, Dimitri could just go on his way. Byleth signaled to Claude to back off from Dimitri, returning their focus to the Empire for as long as possible. 

“Are you trying to stop me too? I’ll just have to kill you!” Byleth was jumped to hear Dimitri’s rage turn toward herself. 

“Dimitri, we are on the same side!” She tried her best to yell, blocking his attack. “It doesn’t have to end like this!” The professor pleaded as she countered another blow from Dimitri. 

Dimitri, who had a one track mind for revenge, staggered off away from her. “Where are you Edelgard?! I will not stop until I kill you!” He growled as flames surrounded him. Byleth decided to use that moment to sneak away. Dimitri would have to be dealt with, but she couldn’t be the one to do it. Not like this. 

“Byleth!” Seteth called out from atop his own wyvern. Ever since the battle of Gareg Mach he would always keep a close eye on Byleth in the battlefield. He caught her now, running through the fire away from Dimitri and toward the direction of Edelgard, where Claude was also approaching. Seteth swooped down, reaching a hand out to Byleth and pulling her up onto the wyvern for a quick ride over to her house leader’s side. They were so close, they could almost taste the victory. Edelgard was cornered, there were few troops remaining by her side. Maybe they could end this all now if they played their cards right.

“I knew that next we met one of our paths would have to come to an end.” Edelgard spoke calmly, but with her own kind of ferocity in her voice as Byleth was the first to approach. “Your journey ends here Professor. Forever…”

“I can’t let that happen, Edelgard.” Byleth returned, confidently. “Do you even know how much you’ve hurt everyone? These were your friends!” Byleth shouted, gesturing across the battlefield. But like Dimitri, Edelgard could not be reasoned with, and soon the attacks started once again. 

“Now is the chance for you and the professor to leave.” Edelgard warned Claude as he joined the attack. It seemed she did still have some kind of hesitation, though it wasn’t much. Claude clearly declined her offer in his own flirtatious way, dealing the next blow to her with his bow. Before they could officially end this all for good, Edelgard managed to escape, making a retreat knowing that they were to fight again on another battlefield someday in their future.

\------

After the last of the enemy troops had made their escape, the Golden Deer were soon the only ones standing on the ruined fields. They tended to their wounded, counted the dead, and tried their best to see this as a victory. It was hard though, knowing that many of their own troops had fallen, as well as the many former students and allies who had been lost. Though they fought under enemy flags, their losses still pained Byleth and the others. Byleth stood among the grass, looking things over from a distance as they gathered themselves to push forward. 

“Some of our allies are injured, but can still fight. We’ll just have to accept this outcome and press onward.” Claude approached from behind Byleth, giving her the rundown on how things were looking after the battle. “Though I wonder what became of the Kingdom army… and Dimitri…” Byleth silently placed a hand on Claude’s back, giving him a light reassuring rub. She could see how much pain he was in after that encounter, and how much hope he still had, even if the logical part of him knew it would be for nothing. 

“I saw him!” Hilda approached, intruding on the conversation. Both Byleth and Claude shifted their full focus to her, hoping it would somehow be good news, knowing it wouldn’t be. “He was completely different from how I remember him. He looked like a crazed demon while he was fighting.” She went on. Byleth knew exactly what she was talking about. That look in his eyes, and the way he couldn’t see or hear reason at all. She knew as soon as she saw him that Dimitri would be too far gone. He fell down his own path, and they weren’t there to help him. She couldn’t help but feel some kind of guilt that she wasn’t there. Maybe if things had been different before. 

“He pursued Edelgard as she retreated, but he didn’t get far before he collapsed.” Hilda continued recounting what she had seen. “I saw him surrounded by Imperial troops and… pierced by their spears. I’ll never forget it. He deserved a better end.” Byleth could hear Hilda’s voice waver, clearly in shock by what she had seen. Even more in shock was Claude, who Byleth felt begin to shake under her hand. He kept that strong attitude on his face and in his voice, but in his body Byleth could feel the pain he wouldn’t let them see. 

“There must have been some other way… Why did he have to go like that?” Hilda’s voice shook even more as her eyes welled with tears. Byleth was never good at emotions or comforting others, but she had to do something. Her two little troublemakers, about ready to crack from the pain and pressure they were both under. Although they were much older now, they were both still so young. Byleth wished with everything in her that they could go back to the way things used to be. She couldn’t say anything, there was no  _ right _ thing to say in that moment. Instead, she just reached over to Hilda, pulling her and Claude in together and holding them both. At least they still had each other. At least they  _ all _ had each other, the Golden Deer, the Church, the friends and love they had together. She knew things would still be hard for a while, but they could make it through this together. And if they needed a moment to sit together on a wounded battlefield and cry together? Well she would always be there for them like that. She made a promise that she wasn’t going to go away again.


End file.
